Stolen Moments
by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: After stopping a stranger stops a gambler from cheating Nick and his friends in a card game, Nick offers the stranger a job only to learn later that the man was heading to the Barkley ranch for another reason. Upon learning why Nick agrees to help him only Nick doesn't know the man is keeping another secret from him. Genre and rating always subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The once light blue sky was quickly disappearing as the huge black clouds rolled in, and thunder could be hear rumbling off in the distance as the long haired stranger to Modesto walked out of the small boarding house. The man would have stayed in his room with his wife only, he'd seen a man he knew enough about to feel like he needed to keep an eye on things. After telling his wife who he had seen and where he was going, the stranger hurried across the road and down the street. Just as he stepped through the brown swinging doors the rain began to pour down. However, he paid no attention to the weather as he looked around the establishment. Round, brown tables sat in the middle of the room while a few square and rectangular shaped ones were set against the south and west walls. The bartender, a thin white haired man wearing dark pants, white shirt and a brown vest stood behind the bar. With the exception of a couple of pictures, the walls were practically bare. It wasn't hard to spot the red headed man-as the room only had a few patrons. He was sitting at one of the longer, rectangular tables that sat near the south wall. There were three other men sitting with him.

Since he was sitting with his back to the wall, Nick easily saw the six foot stranger walk into the bar. The man's hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail while his beard and mustache looked like their owner should think about a trip to the barber. However, when the man looked around and then started walking towards the table next to the one where he was playing poker, Nick found himself bracing himself-though he had no clue as to why. However, Nick's attention was drawn away from the stranger who was now seated at the other table when the man who had introduced himself as Timothy Jones threw money down on the table. "I'll take your bet and raise you five."

The game continued on, and Nick almost forgot about the stranger at the other table. In fact, he would have only he and his friends had lost almost all their money to 'Mr. Jones', who asked them if they wanted to go one more round or call it quits. Before Nick or his two friends could answer, the stranger was leaning back in his chair and speaking. "You've already cheated them out of close to a hundred dollars, Parker. I'd say that was enough."

"Cheated!" Nick barked while his friends whipped their heads to the side in order to see who had spoken. "What do you mean cheated, and did you call him Parker?'

"His name is Parker Jensen." The stranger stood up, took a few steps and stopped next to the table. He wasn't surprised by the look of fear that had appeared in Parker's eyes. When the man tried to speak, the stranger cut him off.

"Pick up the cards and shuffle them." The stranger looked at Nick, who did as he was told simply because he wanted to see if the man standing by the table knew what he was talking about…even though he suspected the stranger did as the accused party seemed to be sweating all of sudden.

"Now what?" Nick asked the stranger, though he and his friends were glaring at the accused.

"Lay three cards, face down, on the table." The stranger instructed.

Even as he did as the stranger instructed, Nick just knew what was coming; he was right too.

The stranger reached for the first card, telling everyone what the card was. He was correct…as he was the second and third times. "As you can see gentlemen, the deck is marked." The stranger stepped back.

"Why you no good…" Nick's friend-thirty year old Kyle Hill-jumped to his feet and would have lunged at the one called Parker only the stranger intervened. "Doesn't this town have a sheriff and a jail?"

"No!" The one called Parker jumped to his feet and tried going for his gun. Both Nick and the stranger pulled their pistols out before Parker could clear leather. He froze, though he did not move his hand off his weapon.

"Don't try it, mister." Nick spoke through clenched teeth. He then told the would be thief to slowly remove his pistol and to drop it to the floor.

Parker did as he was told, all the while glaring at the stranger who had ruined his plans. It made no difference as the man was not fazed by the crook's reaction to being caught. "Kyle, why don't you and your cousin take this man to the sheriff."

"Be glad too, but he tries anything I'll shoot before I ask any questions." Kyle and his cousin were soon leading Parker Jensen out of the saloon.

"Thanks, mister," Nick, turned towards the stranger only to realize the man was sitting back down at the table he'd been sitting at before. He walked over and again thanked the stranger. "You know him?" Nick nodded towards the saloon entrance.

"Crossed paths with him a time or two," the stranger answered after running his fingers through his thick beard. He then surprised Nick by asking him if he knew where the barbershop was. After what Nick had thought when the stranger walked into the saloon, he couldn't help but grin.

"Bartender there does both," Nick gestured towards the bar. He then asked for the stranger's name. "Kind of be nice to know who I'm in debt too."

The stranger didn't answer at first. Then, as he slowly stood up, he replied, "Folks call me Jeremiah. Now, if you excuse me, no beard should ever look like a bird could use it as a nest…nor should a man's hair be as long as his wife's. Well, not in my opinion which means I'm breaking my own rules. And then, I best get back to the boarding house before my wife thinks something's happened to me." As he started to walk away, Nick stopped him.

"If you ever need a job or anything, go to Stockton, to my family's ranch. All you have to do is ask for me, name's Nick Barkley."

If the stranger hadn't had his back to Nick, the famous Stockton rancher would have looked into the stranger's blue eyes and seen the look of one who had a fight going on inside him. As it was, the man nodded and thanked Nick-and then walked away.

As Nick watched the man leave, he wondered why the man's blue eyes, and now his walk, reached out and grabbed him. He knew he'd never seen the man before. However, having already thanked the stranger and offered him a job if he needed one, Nick turned around and climbed the stairs. He'd rented a room from the bartender and needed to get to sleep. Because he was climbing the stairs, Nick didn't see the stranger turn and watch him until he disappeared into the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"What?" La'akea, a hardworking, beautiful, Polynesian woman Jeremiah had married while on a trip to one of the many Polynesian Islands with one of his friends, lay in the crook of her husband's arm staring at him. He'd just admitted more than Parker Jensen had been playing poker with marked cards. "You talked to Nick Barkley, and you only gave him your first name?" The astonishment she felt shown in her eyes was as clear as the full moon that was hanging outside the room they'd rented.

"First, Nick Barkely's never seen my face. Yes, we talked twice during the war, but I was hidden from his view both times. I dare say he wouldn't have been able to guess my age correctly if asked." He went on to remind her how young he'd said they'd all been the first time he and she talked about the Civil War. "I met a nine year old drummer boy once." Shaking his head, he added, "Second, what would I tell him? Words spoken to me from the only woman I ever called Mother on her deathbed?" Jeremiah sat up, as did his wife.

Sliding her arm across her husband's upper back, his wife rested her hand on her husband's shoulder. "What about the small journal in Papa Shaw's desk?" She had seen her husband read from it more than once after her mother-in-law had confessed everything her late husband had told her.

"He never recorded any names or locations, just what he'd done out of desperation to help Mother. Why he risked writing any of it down is beyond me. What was I supposed to say to Nick Barkley?"

"And yet you are going to Stockton. You're going to use his offer of a job as a way to get onto the Barkley ranch without raising any suspicion." La'akea feared for her husband. Not for his physical safety, but for his emotional wellbeing. He'd had the rug pulled out from under him when Mama Shaw-as La'akea called her- had confessed everything her dying husband had said. It was a wonder Jeremiah still claimed knowing them.

As if he read her mind, Jeremiah said, "I know men, good men, who have done a ton of good…and yet people will drag their name through the mud and make them out to be something they never were….simply because they made one, very bad, decision. Matthew Shaw wasn't a bad man. He was desperate, and desperate men often don't use our maker's gift of being able to think for themselves very well. As far as Barrett goes, let's hope he doesn't have a photographic memory. After all, he only met me once -and that's been a number of years ago. On top of that, the one time we did talk, I had short hair and was clean shaven."

"What about the rest of the Barkleys?" La'akea asked as she ran her fingers down the side of his face.

"What about them?" Jeremiah turned his face towards his wife. "No one in the family will know me. Why would they?"

La'akea sighed as she rested the side of her face on her husband's shoulder. After a few minutes had passed, she sighed again. "You can't change the way you walk, your eye color and your other mannerisms." She paused and then asked, "The war hasn't been over all that long, not really. What if Nick Barkley remembers you?"

Jeremiah, who had tried to push those exact thoughts aside, rubbed his forehead and let out a frustrated sigh. "I just told you, he never saw my face during the war. I was always behind something the few times we talked. He'd have to remember my voice. If he does that, I'll deal with it if that happens. What else can I do?"

"Change careers," La'akea answered, half way serious. The Shaws had made sure her husband got his education… in spite of what his current appearance might say to other people. Thanks to them Jeremiah also had the ability to go into another line of work without a problem.

Jeremiah smiled as he turned and pulled his wife closer to him. "I can't do that, not yet anyway. I don't take a job only to quit before it's finished. However," he began laying his wife down, "I do take an occasional break."

While Jeremiah was busy with his wife, Nick was lying awake in the room the bartender had rented to him. His mind was on the card game…more specifically on the stranger who had stopped a thief in his tracks. 'Where have I seen you before?' Nick threw his legs over the side of the bed, stood up and walked to the corner window. Since the room he was renting was on the second floor, at the front of the building, he had a perfect view of the empty street below. The only sign of life was a stray dog that was trying to get into some garbage that was in barrel that sat in an alley. The site itself would have meant nothing-except it triggered a long forgotten memory.

 _Nick, dressed in his Lieutenant uniform, stood in an alleyway. Due to his mission, he'd had to wait for the cover of darkness to go into town. Only problem was-it had made it so he hadn't been able to eat, something he hadn't been able to do since eight o'clock that morning. Needless to say he was hungry. He thought he was going to have to skip another meal only a man had poked his head out of one of the buildings and surprised him by not alerting anyone to his presence and telling him there was food in the trash can. "Only threw it out because the customer who ordered it left without notice, and it was time to close. But, it hasn't been in there that long, and nothing's been put on top of it." Nick could hardly stomach taking any food out of a trash barrel, but the war was getting bad and food was getting hard to come by. However, when he reached into the can, a voice at the front of the alley stopped him._

" _I wouldn't take any food out of there, no matter what the chef said." Nick turned but could see no one. He turned back to the can only to the words spoken again. This time he looked towards_ _a_ _side window. While he could see no one, he just knew the voice was coming from inside the window. He was amazed to see a couple of apples and some jerky being tossed gently out of it. "That should help you some, sir."_

 _Nick moved quickly, not only to get the food but in hopes of seeing who had helped him. By the time he got to the open window, all he saw was an empty room and its partially opened door._

" _Thanks for the food, mister." Nick said, hoping whoever had spoken was behind the door; he was._

" _Name's Shaw," the voice then warned Nick not to trust the chef and told him to get out of town as soon as possible. "Rebs heading this way," Then he heard the sound of departing footsteps._

Nick stiffened as he realized it had to be Jeremiah's voice he recognized not his face. Why else would that particular memory come to back to him? Though, it irritated him that the memory lacked the sound of the man's voice, along with the age he guessed him to be at the time. If only he'd been able to talk to the unseen person more. 'I've got to talk to him in the morning, just have to!" Nick went back to the bed, hoping to be able to get a decent amount of sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Nick, who had gone straight to the boardinghouse, now stood in front of the café-as the matron of the boarding house told him that's where the man Jeremiah and his wife were eating. Since the boarding house offered breakfast, Nick had been surprised until he'd looked through the café window and saw the couple. 'Ten to one they're paying too much for the room and that the 'good matron' wanted to charge them extra for the food as well. They're eating out because they want to eat without to breaking their pocketbook, and this place is good and cheaper.' Nick-who knew how hypocritical the boarding house matron could be-thought as he opened the door to the café and stepped in.

The moment Nick entered the café and started walking towards the couple, La'akea looked at her husband; her eyes saying 'I told you he'd come find you.' However, Jeremiah said nothing; he simply waited.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your breakfast." Nick smiled politely at the woman and then turned his attention to Jeremiah. "I wanted to speak to you before I left town, wanted to extend that job offer again and," he paused, hoping he was remembering right, "to thank you for those apples and jerky you gave me in Charleston, and the few other times you helped me, Mister Shaw."

Jeremiah swore silently. He had hoped that Nick would not recognize his voice. As it was, even though he'd come to realize Nick shouldn't be kept in the dark as it were, he could not afford to acknowledge Nick was right…not with the man sitting at another table, on near enough to enable him to hear what was being said. "I am sorry, Mr. Barkley. My name is Jeremiah Stone. When it comes to the war, I never wore a uniform in any man's army. Though, I don't think my wife would object if you joined us for breakfast."

"You are more than welcome." La'akea smiled, though her eyes screamed she was more than nervous.

Nick frowned slightly due to the fact that, while he heard every word the man said, he also saw the unspoken message that was in the gentleman's eyes. A message that said, if Nick would play along, Jeremiah would explain later. That, along with the man's wife's nervousness, Nick pulled a chair out and sat down. "Thanks, I am hungry."

"Is that job offer still good, even though I'm not this Shaw person you thought I was? I really could use it."

Nick, who had also seen the man at the other table-and noticed how his eyes had went from looking excited when he heard him call Jeremiah Mister Shaw to having a look of disappointment when he heard Jeremiah give Nick a different name and say he'd never worn uniform. "It's still open." Nick said after a few minutes of silence. He had to find out what was going on and giving the man a job was the only way he could see accomplishing that. However, his eyes sent a message to Jeremiah as well. One that screamed 'you best start talking the first chance you get.'

Nick then ordered breakfast and visited with Jeremiah and his wife-though the talk was kept light until his food was brought to him. After that, the three ate quietly before exiting the building. Once outside Nick turned to Jeremiah. "Do you mind telling me why you den…" He started to ask only to have Jeremiah cut him off.

"Not here, Mr. Barkley." Jeremiah quickly scanned the area. He was relieved when the few people who were out walking around were far enough away that hearing either Nick or himself would be impossible. Still, he wasn't going to explain anything in the middle of town. "My wife will go get our few belongings and meet you outside of town, on the south end."

Nick might have argued and asked why the gentleman couldn't explain things right then and there only the man who had been sitting in the café stepped out. That being the case, Nick simply thanked 'Mr. Stone' and then watched the couple walk away.

"Funny how we meet folks who remind us of other people." The man behind him spoke up.

Nick turned around and found himself with the feeling that this man needed to be thoroughly convinced that Nick had been mistaken about who Jeremiah was. "Yeah, once we started visiting I was more than embarrassed to realize he really wasn't who I thought he was."

"You thought think he might have changed his name, to start over?" The man asked the question as if he too had thought about the possibility.

"Yeah, but after talking with him and his wife, I realized just how wrong I was. Now, if you don't mind, I need to go." Nick turned and walked away.

When it came to the stranger, he went across the street to the telegraph office and sent a telegram to Stockton. It was sent to James Barrett and simply read "You were told wrong STOP Leaving California STOP No need for me here STOP. Afterwards, he saddled his horse and headed north.

"You sure he's not going to follow us?", La'akea stood next to the window of the room she and her husband had used.

"Yes," Jeremiah let out a sigh of relief. "If he was, he wouldn't have gone to the telegraph office and left town. Whatever Nick Barkley said to him must have convinced the man he was wasting his time."

"So," La'akea turned away from the window, walked over to the brass bed and sat down. "You will tell Nick Barkley everything when we meet up?"

Jeremiah also turned away from the window. When he did, he saw the questioning look in his wife's eyes and read between the lines. "I'll tell him about Barrett, what I've been asked to do ask and why. I'll explain everything. I'll also ask for his and his family's help. Yes, I'm informing them of what is going on." He held up his hand when she stiffened, thinking she was going to object. "I never agreed to leaving them clueless as to what I was going to Stockton for. I never promised anything when it came to the Barkleys. I realized that last night."

La'akea folded her arms and gave him somewhat of nonverbal chastisement. "You will tell them everything about the mission, but say nothing about the secret handed to you by Mama Shaw on her deathbed?

Jeremiah threw his hands up in the air and turned back to the window. "I told you before, I have no solid proof to hand them. All I really have is Amanda Shaw's dying confession, nothing more!"

"What about the obituary in the Bible, and the letter your aunt gave you?" La'akea stood up and walked back to her husband, laying her hand on her husband's arm.

"There's nothing in the obituary that verifies what Amanda said Matthew confessed to her on his deathbed. That is nothing that would be considered solid proof of anything I might say. I don't even know why the item was kept. It makes no sense to and, since Matthew and Amanda are on the other side, I can't ask them, can I? When it comes to the letter my _'dear'_ aunt says she found in the trunk in our living room, she probably forged it. I wouldn't put it past her." He wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close. "Just consider the subject closed, okay? I have a job to do and, if we're blessed, we'll have the Barkleys' help."

La'akea still didn't agree with her husband only he had a point when it came to his aunt….she wasn't trustworthy. So, for her husband's sake, she agreed to do as they asked. After what seemed like an eternity, her husband let go of her…saying they needed to get their things and leave. 'We don't need to keep Nick Barkley waiting' were his exact words.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Nick, who been waiting on the south end of town, had about given up waiting for the Shaws when he saw Jeremiah and his wife riding towards him. "'bout time," Nick muttered under his breath just before Jeremiah and La'akea reached him. "Now do you mind telling me what's going on? Why did you claim a different last name back there?"

"Not here," Jeremiah shook his head as he continued pushing his horse forward.

La'akea gave Nick an apologetic look before joining her husband. For Nick's part, he would have stopped the gentleman and demanded answers only, for the woman's sake, he did not. "Come on Coco, looks like we're going to have some traveling companions." He tapped the side of his horse gently with the side of the stirrup, moving the animal forward.

The dusty road seemed to go on forever while the sun shone brightly. The heat from the sun would have been close to unbearable if it wasn't for a soft, gentle breeze that was blowing through the air. It was close to noon before Nick, Jeremiah and La'akea stopped under some tall, majestic trees to cook and eat their lunch…which consisted of beans and some jerky.

Leaning against one of the trees, Nick took a bite of his jerky and once again asked Jeremiah what was going on. "I don't mind giving a man who is looking for work a job. However, I don't like knowing something is not right, and not knowing what the problem is."

Jeremiah, who had also sat under a tree, stood up, turned around and walked to the edge of a nearby tree. For a split second he thought about doing as La'akea had suggested…tell Nick every little detail. ' _No'_ his logical mind told him it was not good idea. If he was to fulfill this mission, he had to keep the focus on the matter at hand…not a past that could not be changed. He turned around, walked back to the small fire that had almost died out and looked Nick straight in the eye. "I said I had not worn any man's uniform during the war; I never said I was not a part of the war."

Nick's eyes filled with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Jeremiah sat back down next to his wife, still keeping his eyes on Nick. "I worked as Northern spy." He wasn't surprised when Nick's eyes widened and his mouth dropped slightly open. However, that quickly changed when Jeremiah asked, "You served under General Alderson; you were with him the night Maysville was destroyed and innocent people were killed?" He didn't really have to ask the question, but he did anyway.

Nick's eyes grew cold and he snapped. "We didn't go there intending for that to happen. Fighting broke out in small groups…the General, myself and others tried to stop it, but the trouble only grew worse."

Jeremiah flipped his hands over, making it so his palms were facing up. "What if I told you the men who started the fight had orders to do it…and the orders came from the general himself?" Again, he wasn't surprised when Nick jumped to his feet and swore.

"I was a first Lieutenant and his aide! I was the one to give General Alderson's orders to the men. He gave no such orders!" Nick didn't try to hide the anger inside of him.

"Of course he didn't, you are too honorable of a man." Jeremiah said after a minute of pure silence. "He went through someone else, someone who would give his orders to the men if you were busy elsewhere...a soldier by the name of James Barrett."

Nick's eyes slowly widened in disbelief. "Barrett!" The longtime employee had served in his unit during the war. That's where he'd first met the man. After the war, Nick had talked to his father about hiring his former comrade due to the man's experience with horses.

"Yes, James Barrett."

"If that's the case, why weren't they arrested?" Nick asked, very much unsettled by the revelation-which he doubted since no action had been taken against the men.

"The United States Federal Government only recently learned of it," Jeremiah paused again and then added, "along with other information even more important." He went onto say that the general retired, but no one had been able to find out where he was living. He told Nick the government had recently learned that there's a high chance Barrett knew. "But, he is denying that fact."

Nick didn't know what to think. Why on earth would such a good general order such an attack? "What else is there?"

Jeremiah sighed. "They-the government-knows General Alderson had a hand in planning President Lincoln's death. They know it, but they can't prove it. It's one of the reasons I'm telling you this now."

Nick's eyes widened, and he quickly sat back down. "They want you to get a job on the ranch so you can get Barrett to talk."

When Jeremiah hesitated to answer, La'akea spoke up. "No, it is what he," she nodded towards her husband. "They wanted something completely different." When she gave her husband a look that said 'are you going to tell him or do I', Jeremiah shook his head.

"They wanted me to use force." Jeremiah was disgusted and didn't hesitate to show it. He also admitted he wasn't supposed to be saying anything to Nick or any member of his family. "But I told them no. The thing is, I don't agree. I told my superiors I'd be on your land and, who knows, something negative could happen. If it does, your family would be involved." He paused and then asked, "Does all your family live on the ranch?"

Nick, still feeling unsettled, replied. "Everyone but my youngest brother, he lives on campus- at Berkley."

Nothing more was said for a few minutes. Nick was still struggling with the fact that Jeremiah had told him while Jeremiah was wondering if he'd done the right thing in telling Nick everything. "So, is the job offer still open? Will you help me if I need it?"

Slowly, Nick nodded. "Yes, to both questions." If the general was indeed guilty of what Jeremiah said, he needed to be found. "We'll talk with my family as soon as we get to the ranch." He stood up and put out what little fire was still burning, a fire he and Jeremiah had built for La'akea to cook their beans with.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

By the time the sun began to set, Nick, Jeramiah and La'akea had reached an old way station that had not been used in a number of years. The small wooden building had two sets of windows, one set by the front door and a set that could be seen on the right side of the station. Each set of windows were made up of nine squares of glass with an one inch piece of wood separating each small 'window' pane. A few of the smaller pieces of glass had holes in them, and the front door looked as it might fall off its hinges.

"Not the best place…" Jeremiah started to speak only to whip his rifle out of its sheath, which hung on the side of the saddle. The action was brought on by the sound of quiet footsteps that was coming from the other side of the way station. Nick also had his pistol out of his holster faster than Jeremiah thought possible.

"Don't shoot!" A brown haired, green eyed man who stood roughly five feet five inches and had broad shoulders stepped around the corner. Because he had his hands slightly up in the air, Nick put his pistol back in its holster. He was surprised-though he didn't know why-when Jeremiah slid his rifle back in its sheath, jumped off his horse, strode quickly over to the stranger and called him by name.

"Adam Pierce! I wondered when you'd show your face." Jeremiah, who didn't really like the federal agent, still smiled to be polite and introduced the two men to each other. "Adam has been assigned to find work in Stockton, to be a go between myself and my superiors." Jeremiah told Nick. Then he looked at Adam. "Before you ask, you heard me right. This is Nick Barkley and; yes, I told him all about the mission." He batted his hand through the air. "Come on, let's fix this door and get settled for the night. La'akea got cook the rest of the beans we have. Good thing we'll be in Stockton tomorrow, need to replenish a few supplies." The whole time Jeremiah was talking, he was walking up the steps of the building and then going inside.

"You told him about Barrett and Alderson?" Adam stared at Jeremiah after entering the building.

"I told you." Jeremiah answered as he started helping Nick with the door. The last thing they needed was some stray animal wandering in during the middle of the night. "I didn't agree with keeping any member of the Barkley family clueless. When life crossed Mr. Barkley's path and mine," Jeremiah nodded towards Nick, "I went ahead and told him. He's agreed to help us. He'll talk to his family as well, get them to at least agree to stay out of our way."

Adam shook his head, but didn't argue. Why should he when he'd been told by more than one person that Jeremiah Shaw had a way of being on the winning side of any argument. While Jeremiah and Nick fixed the door and Adam put the tipped over furniture back the way they should be, La'akea was looking in the back…for any unused firewood. She was relieved when she found a small pile, along with some kindling. It wasn't long before she had a fire going in the old pot belly stove that sat in the left hand corner of the room and the beans were cooking. Everything would have been fine only Mr. Pierce made a very unnecessary assumption. "It has to be nice to be able to travel overseas and find such a woman." He walked over to where Jeremiah and Nick were just finished working on the door. "How much did you have to pay for the her?"

Nick, who was appalled at the thought Jeremiah Shaw/Stone had actually bought the woman, had no time think before Jeremiah had whirled around and planted his right fist across Adam Pierce's jaw while planting his left fist into the man's stomach. After Adam fell to the way station floor, clutching his stomach and bleeding from his lower lip, Jeremiah stood ready to attack him again if he needed to. "Women are not objects to be bought and sold! I did not pay anything for her! La'akea is a lady, and she is my wife! I would think you would have been informed you of this!" He then told the man that, in no uncertain terms, that he was to address La'akea as Mrs. Stone during the mission, treat her with respect and, if he got any other unacceptable ideas, Jeremiah would finish beating Adam…almost to the point of death. "I'm not going to hang for just anyone!"

Adam, who had indeed been told about the relationship-but had not believed it-sat up and apologized. Only when Adam had slipped over to the hole filled couch did Jeremiah turn to Nick-who was smiling from ear to ear. "Are you going to say anything?" Jeremiah's eyes were still full of fury.

"No," Nick held his hands up in mock surrender, "but if he says anything like that again-or tries anything-I'll hold him down for you."

Jeremiah started grinning wide-as did La'akea. Since they met plenty of people willing to ask the same question as Adam Pierce had just voiced, it was refreshing to hear someone with Nick Barkley's reputation offer to back both of them up if they needed it.

"Thanks," Jeremiah shot another glare at Adam, who wasn't stupid enough to ask any more questions or crazy enough to entertain any unacceptable thoughts, and then sat down at the table with Nick. "When we get to Stockton, it would be best if you rode into town first or; better yet, go straight to your family's ranch and talk with them. We can't be seen together before you officially hire me."

Nick wasn't about to fight that idea. As far as he was concerned, the sooner he got home, the better.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Victoria was dusting the piano when she heard the front door open. She turned her head and saw Heath as he shut the door. He looked tired, and he was limping just a little. "What happened?"

"Nothing major," Heath gave her a crooked smile as he made his way to the nearest chair and sat down. "I got in a hurry and didn't watch where I was going, before I knew it, I'd stepped in a hole and fell." He hurried to clarify it wasn't a very big hole. "Barrett helped me out. He is taking care of things."

"Barrett?" Victoria raised her eyebrows, surprised that the ranch hand would be close enough to be of any help. Sure, since the trouble with General Wallant, James Barrett had addressed Heath as Mr. Barkley and didn't cause him trouble. Still, everyone knew the long time ranch hand didn't go out of his way to be around Heath either. It infuriated Victoria still; as both Nick and Heath had pointed out, at least the behavior was better than before.

"Yeah, Barrett. Though," Heath carefully pulled of his boot, something Victoria was quick to help with once she saw him wince in pain. "As you can see, he didn't exactly help me back here." When Victoria's anger started to flare, Heath was quick to speak up. "He helped me out, and I have no broken bones. Let's just be grateful for small miracles." He then propped his foot up on the brown footstool Victoria had recently purchased. The small piece of furniture actually had a padded top which made it a comfortable spot to rest his ankle. By this time Silas, who had looked out of the dining room and seen Heath limping in, had brought out ice wrapped in a towel.

"You didn't have to do that, but thank you." Heath didn't fight Silas giving the items to Victoria or Victoria as she put the towel and ice on his ankle. "Nick will probably threaten to take a picture and hang it on the wall, especially after I told him I didn't need my big brother to stick around just to make sure I didn't hurt myself again." Heath chuckled as he thought how he'd received another minor injury just a few months ago; it too was caused by being in a hurry…something that normally wasn't a problem when it came to him.

Victoria, who had paled ever so slightly, quickly stood up, replied, "Probably," She then existed the room.

Heath might have been puzzled as to what upset his stepmother, only he'd seen her eyes go to the family photo that stood on the small round table next to the chair. "Silas,"

Silas, who had also started to leave the room, stopped and turned around. "What is it Mr. Heath? You need something?"

"No…and yes." Heath reached out and picked up the photograph that Victoria had insisted on being taken when Heath joined the family. "What happened? I mean, after Nick truly accepted me, he told me there was another child before him only he says he didn't find out until he was almost ten. He said he found out by accident, when he was going through an old photo album while visiting Grandmother Miller but that-because the topic upset Mother and his grandma so much-Tom forbade him to talk about it. What happened?"

Silas sighed as his thoughts turned to the past. He could still remember the day he joined the same wagon train as Tom and Victoria Barkley. He remembered making friends with them, and agreeing to work for Tom when they reached California. "Mrs. Barkley, she was expecting a child by the time they arrived here. While more white men were making their home here, there was still occasional Indian trouble." Silas walked over to the window and looked out. "The old home was built ten miles from here, others would stop by and rest for the night. One week a whole wagon train stopped for a few days. Mr. Tom, he helped the men with various repairs they needed while Mrs. Barkley tended to the women folk." Silas grew silent for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. "One day Indians were seen in the area, were in the area for a while actually. No one thought anything of it as, for the most part, the Indian men stayed away from the settlers." Silas sat down on the sofa and shook his head. "One night Victoria, Tom and a few friends went to a dance. I stayed at the house to watch their son-as I nothing else to do anyway. It wasn't like he needed his mother's milk anymore. I…" Silas' shoulders slumped forward just a little. "I put Mr. Jarrod in his crib and went outside to the garden. After that," Silas shrugged his shoulders again, "someone knocked me out. The next thing I remember was having Mr. Tom shaking my shoulder slightly and urgently calling my name." Silas went on to say he'd opened his eyes only to receive the shock of seeing the house engulfed in flames. "We all thought Mr. Jarrod was inside until the after the fire-which made it impossible for anyone to attempt to go inside-was out. After it was done, Tom and I went through all the debris, but there was no corpse of any kind inside. We did find a tomahawk near one of the nearby trees, had to have been dropped by one of those Indians that had been seen in the area. After we found that, people said the fire was started by the Indians, and that they took the child before burning the house down."

"Did they ever find anything besides the tomahawk?" Heath asked after a moment.

Silas shook his head. "Not that I know of, but we didn't see any other strangers around either. No," he shrugged his shoulders, "no one saw those Indians start the fire or take Jarrod, but the men Tom gathered together searched for weeks. Only people they ever saw were men traveling with their families or an occasional trapper. So, eventually, everyone came to the conclusion the child had been taken by the Indians men… probably by one who had lost one of theirs to the white man. Mrs. Barkley and Mr. Tom, they had the hardest time moving on. Truth be told," The faithful Barkley employee had a faraway look appear in his eyes. "I blamed myself. I should have stayed in the house with him, anything in the garden could have waited. I told your father and Mrs. Barkley I'd quit, but they wouldn't hear of it. Told me not to blame myself…" Silas's voice drifted off as he finished talking and left the room.

Heath sat the family picture back on the table. He felt bad for everyone involved. However, when he started to think about the Indian men who had been seen in the area, the fire and the brother he had never met, Heath was startled to get the strongest impression that while the Indians _had_ started the fire, the assumption that those Indians had also taken Barkley's oldest child was not at all correct. It made him wonder who had actually saved the boy only to keep him. It made Heath wonder why they'd done it, and if the family would ever find out what really happened. However, before he could dwell on the matter more the front door opened, and Nick entered the house.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A/N I want to apologize-as I should have made it clear that Jeremiah/Jarrod only recently learned the truth. So, during the Civil War, he had no clue he was helping his brother.

Nick was seated behind the desk that sat in the corner of the Billiard room. He'd been more than relieved to find out that Audra had left for Colorado a few days before, to spend the summer with their Aunt Clara. He'd also been thrilled to learn that Gene had sent a telegram saying he had been given an opportunity to study in Boston, under a doctor whom he had met. He would be in Boston for at least six months. It lessened the people in 'this matter'-as Adam Pierce had put it. Victoria sat on the sofa while Heath was leaning against the Billiard table. Silas, McColl and Ciego were in the room as well. 'They've worked for us the longest and proven themselves extremely honest and faithful. I don't want them clueless' had been his response when Adam Pierce had started to object. The man had backed off only because Jeremiah had spoken up and told the man that Nick had a valid point.

"What's going on, Nick?" Victoria, who was growing uneasy with Nick's continued silence, pressed him to tell everyone why he'd asked for the meeting-especially since he'd insisted for three of their employees to attend as well.

"I met a man in Modesto, Jeremiah Shaw, only he's going by the last name of Stone. Actually talked to him during the war…but never face to face." He went onto tell them everything from the moment he first saw Jeremiah in the saloon to the moment they rode into the way station and met up with Adam Pierce. He wasn't shocked by the looks of surprise and disbelief that leapt onto all their faces.

"Are they serious?" Victoria found her voice and asked the question that was all in all their eyes.

"Very," Nick leaned slightly forward and looked at Heath. "If they're right about Barrett, Jeremiah won't have a chance if…" he paused as an apologetic look appeared in his eyes. He needn't have worried as Heath spoke up.

"If he makes friends with me," He kept a steady gaze on Nick, who let out a frustrated sigh.

"I don't want to think that Barrett knows just how bad General Alderson is supposed to be, and that he simply thinks they were both-secretly-on the side of the South during the war. Only, yes, if Jeremiah doesn't at least treat you the way Barrett is now, there's not much chance of Barrett warming up to him and telling him whatever he knows." Nick leaned back in his chair.

"When will this Jeremiah arrive?" Victoria, who appreciated that the fact that the gentleman had told Nick everything-and that Nick had, in turn, told them, stood up.

"After he gets some business done in Stockton," Nick leaned forward and then addressed the last issue he had on his mind. "While I can't see this being a problem for any of us, you should still be aware 'Mr. Stone'," Nick said as he flicked his fingers in the air as he said Jeremiah's alias, "is married. Her name is La'akea. And, no," he quickly added due to the curiosity that popped into all their eyes. "She's not Caucasian. She's from one of the Polynesian Islands. I never asked which one and; no, don't even suggest Jeremiah bought her." He grinned and told them what the gentleman's reaction had been when Adam Pierce had chosen to ask about that thing; it brought chuckles from all of them. "So, are there any objections? Do I hire 'Jeremiah Stone' or does he find another way to 'meet Barrett for the very first time'?"

"You said their paths crossed once during the war." Victoria spoke up. "Is there a chance Barrett will recognize him anyway?"

"Yes they met, but only once…and Barrett doesn't have a photographic memory. Even if he did," Nick moved his thumb up and down, "Jeremiah was clean shaven, and his hair was short, during the war. He has a full beard, mustache and long hair now, though he had the beard trimmed and the hair cut in Modesto; his hair hangs just below his shoulders. "

"Sounds more like a mountain man," McColl grinned.

Nick smiled and agreed, but assured the foreman Jeremiah had told him he'd only traveled through mountainous areas, but never lived in them. "So," he quit laughing and looked around. "what's the verdict? Do I hire the gentleman or does he stay in Stockton and find another way to meet Barrett?"

Victoria was torn. If General Alderson was guilty and Barrett knew where he was, she wanted this Jeremiah Shaw/Stone to get the information. On the other hand, she hated the idea that Heath would have another ranch hand that merely tolerated having him as a boss. However, Heath solved that dilemma when he voted to have Nick hire the man on. "At least his treatment of me will only be an act, and they need to find the general. When it comes to his wife, I'd say who he married is his business. I'll not bad mouth her simply because of where she's from." He went on to tell Nick hoped that; maybe, the federal government would be proven wrong about Alderson.

"Thanks," Nick threw Heath a thankful smile, but told his brother not to hold his breath. "Any man willing to give orders to someone other than the man they should have given them to, is probably willing to be part of the plot Alderson is accused of being involved in." He then looked at Victoria.

"If Heath has no problem with how 'Mr. Stone' will treat him, I say hire him. His wife is more than welcome as well." The Barkley matriarch answered.

Nick looked at McColl who simply shrugged his shoulders. "If he's willing to pull his weight while he's here-and warns us if he finds out there will be trouble -I'm fine with it." He then said he had no problem in being polite to the man's wife. "I may not agree with marrying outside one's race, only I sure don't like the way many people treat those that choose to do so."

Ciego and Silas both said pretty much the same as the others had.

"Fine," Nick pushed his chair back, stood up and looked at McColl, saying that they needed to get back to work. After they left the room, Silas and the others followed. After all, they all had things to do. Waiting around wasn't going to hasten, or delay, Jeremiah Shaw/Stone's arrival.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jeremiah and La'akea, who had left Stockton and headed to the ranch, had taken a wrong turn and were surprised to find themselves in a wooded area with a lone grave. After climbing out of their small buggy, the couple had walked over to the headstone. Now they found themselves looking at the information engraved on the stone: THOMAS BARKLEY 1813-1870.

"A strange place to bury someone," La'akea turned her face to her husband and, thinking on all the information in the obituary, "You think they did it because it's where he was killed?"

"Probably," Jeremiah answered as he surprised his wife by pulling Tom's obituary out from his vest pocket. Unfolding the paper, he read word for word the story that was told. When he got to the part that talked about Tom's relations…he stopped.

La'akea gently took the paper and read out loud _'Tom Barkley was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and a brother. He and Victoria lost their first home and their oldest son over thirty years ago. To this day, the reason for the boy's disappearance is unknown, though it's most likely due to the Indians that were credited with burning their first home. Tom Barkley is survived by his wife, Victoria Miller Barkley; his sons, Nicolas Jonathon Barkley and Eugene Barkley, along with a daughter Audra Maria Barkley. A brother, James Barkley, lives in Abbottsville, Nevada. A sister-in-law, Clara Miller Brennan, lives in Denver, Colorado.'_ She handed the paper back to her husband. "Are you going to show them this after all, along with the letter your aunt gave you?" She asked the question hoping her husband had not burned the letter as he'd threatened to do the night before-though, due to the various things he'd pointed out about the handwriting which were not right-she wondered if he had come to the definite conclusion the letter had indeed been forged and destroyed it.

Jeremiah folded the paper back up and slid it back into his vest pocket. "No, not even sure why I brought this thing along, should have gotten rid of it as well." He turned his attention to the headstone again, leaving La'akea with the answer to her unspoken question. After a minute of simply listening to the birds and feeling the gentle breeze blowing in the air, Jeremiah continued. "The mail we picked up in Stockton? The report from the Pinkerton Agency was among the mail, the one I asked them to get to me once I learned what my 'father' had done." When his wife looked at him as if to ask 'how did they know to send it here-as you hired them before we knew we were coming here', Jeremiah smiled, "I wired them and told them to send their findings concerning what was in the letter, along with anything they could tell me about the Barkleys, here the moment I knew we knew were coming to Stockton." He went on to say that that he had read it while she was getting a few items in the general store. He wasn't surprised when his wife looked at him as to say 'And?'. "Eighty percent of what was in the letter was a lie; only twenty percent was backed up by what Father wrote in his journal. Which means there's a ninety-nine percent chance I was right when I say my 'dear' aunt probably found out the truth and, for whatever reasons she had, actually wrote the letter and forged the signature as well. That or she had someone else do it." He took a deep breath and then added, "They say there is another brother, half-brother who joined the family last year."

If his aunt hadn't up and died shortly after giving Jeremiah the letter, La'akea would have wished she could have a few choice words with the woman and demanded some answers. As it was, she had heard the tone in her husband's voice-a tone she knew well. There was something more that he wasn't saying. "And?"

"He has blonde hair, blue eyes, name is Heath Thomson; he served in the war and spent the last seven months in Carterson." He turned and looked at his wife. He wasn't surprised by the shock in her eyes.

"The young boy you carried out of that horrible prison is your half-brother?" La'akea couldn't believe it. "He might recognize you even with all that extra hair."

"Not likely," Jeremiah sighed. "He was practically unconscious when I got him out of there, surprised he could even tell me his name. Once I got him to the nearest union army, I never saw him again. Never forgot him, but never saw him either." He went on to ask if she remembered the student he'd stepped in and helped the year before, when the young man was thinking of dropping out of school.

"Yeah, I remember….his teachers said his name was Gene. Why?"

"Try, Eugene….it seems like he belongs to this family as well." Jeremiah shook his head. "Don't worry about him though. I overheard the sheriff telling the postmaster the young man is back in Boston, studying. Won't be back for a number of months."

La'akea shook her head. "Are you going to tell me you've at least crossed paths with every one of your siblings and never knew it?"

Jeremiah shook his head. "Not unless I've met the daughter and didn't realize it, name Audra Barkley doesn't sound at all familiar. Now, before we lose track of the reason we came here in the first place, I suggest we figure out where we took a wrong turn and stop worrying about a past we can't change."

La'akea might have made some sort of reply only she heard the sound of a horse; it made her uncomfortable, not knowing the area they were in or who might be coming. Jeremiah must have felt the same way, as his hand went to his pistol. He was surprised to see a blonde haired rider come into view.

"You don't need that. Do you?" Heath, who had simply been riding-thinking about everything that Nick had told the family, shot the strangers in front of him a lop sided grin.

"No, guess not," Jeremiah slid the pistol back into its holster and introduced himself. "This is my wife. We were trying to find the Barkley ranch and took a wrong turn. Nick Barkley offered me a job." The moment the words were out of his mouth, and he saw the stranger stiffen, Jeremiah just knew who had found them. He grew uneasy…as did La'akea, neither one of them liked how Jeremiah was going to have to act around Heath, especially now since they realized who he really was.

For his part, Heath relaxed and assured the couple they could too. "Nick told us everything, you don't have to worry about me or what I might do."

Jeremiah's let out a slow breath and still apologized. "I just wish I knew how to thank you."

"Get Barrett to talk," Heath said as he asked if they knew they were going the wrong way. When they admitted they'd gotten lost, Heath chuckled and, pointing behind them, gave them instructions to the main house. "I'll follow at a distance, to make sure you don't go in the wrong direction."

"Thank you," Jeremiah helped his wife back into their buggy and then climbed in himself. As he turned their buggy around, he threw a wistful looking over his shoulder. It wouldn't have bothered Heath, as he assumed it was because the gentleman was still feeling bad about the way he'd have to treat Heath once they arrived at the main house, only for a split second-in spite of what Jeremiah had said to La'ake- Heath wasn't looking at a bearded, long haired man trying to get proof for some case the government had against a former general. No, for a lightning fast moment, Heath saw Jeremiah's eyes on a twenty-one year old young man who had-along with others-saved his and his comrades from a living nightmare. 'What a small world!' Heath thought as he started his horse down the road. 'I'll definitely help you-even if it means having to put up with seeing you with Barrett.'


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

 _Excerpt from Ch Eight_

 _When they admitted they'd gotten lost, Heath chuckled and, pointing behind them, gave them instructions to the main house. "I'll follow at a distance, to make sure you don't go in the wrong direction."_

~oOo~

Jeremiah and La'akea gazed upon the huge white mansion as they rode through the gate. While both had seen huge homes before, and had cause to stay in a few, it had been quite some time since they'd seen any home so grand…mostly due to all the undercover work Jeremiah had done since the war had ended. The fact that her husband was once again experiencing a large range of emotions was something La'akea didn't have to be told, as she could see it in his eyes.

For his part, Jeremiah recalled the numerous times his friends would stay overnight and then leave to go home. As the Shaw's only child, he had never known what it was like to have siblings. _'He saw the burning house and heard you screaming. He reached in through the open window and grabbed you out of your crib thinking your family was also inside.'_ Jeremiah could hear Amanda Shaw's voice in his ears. ' _He didn't learn differently until after he'd brought you home to me, after he'd seen me pull out of bad state of mind—a state I'd fallen into after losing our baby son-the fifth baby we'd had to bury. In fact, that's why he'd been riding around at night in the first place, trying to think of a way to help me-as I'd already tried to take my own life.'_ Jeremiah thought on how his adopted mother had confessed she should have known something was wrong when her husband had rushed into the house, grabbed her, Jeremiah, a few belongings and left California. _"He would only say it was necessary to leave, and that he'd have to explain later. Only, he never did. Oh, looking back on it, I can see a number of times he started to only I'd start talking about something you'd done-or you'd come running in all excited about something."_ She'd went on to beg him to forgive Matthew Shaw. _"Thinking you had been orphaned justifies bringing you to me, but there will never be a justifiable reason for not returning you once he learned the truth. He was simply too afraid of what I'd do if I lost yet another child. I should have pushed him for answers. We had only moved to California. I should have known something majorly wrong when he came rushing in and moved us back Kansas without warning." Amanda Shaw sighed even as she struggled to continue talking. "Looking back on it, I did know something was amiss, but I didn't know what…and I didn't want to ask any questions. Forgive me for that, please."_

It made no difference now. What was done was done. As much as Jeremiah might like the idea of his natural mother and siblings knowing who he really was, he couldn't risk the focus being taken off the matter at hand … Barrett knew where Alderson was, and Alderson had helped in President Lincoln's life being taken. Justice needed to be served. "Shall we?" He turned and looked at his wife, the longing in his eyes now replaced with the appearance of a man determined to get the answers he needed.

La'akea simply nodded as her husband climbed out of their buggy and then helped her out. It didn't take long for the two of them to knock on the front door, nor for Silas to lead them into the living room…though they did have to wait for a few minutes for Victoria and Nick, both of whom had been in the dining room eating.

Jeremiah, who wondered just how much of a resemblance there really was between him and other Barkley members, found he was bracing himself-wondering if his chosen path of silence on the matter was going to make any difference.

If she hadn't become so thoroughly convinced that her oldest was with the Indians-or if he didn't have long hair or had all the facial hair-Victoria would have seen her side of the family in Jeremiah. As it was, she didn't. However, his blue eyes did reach out and grab her. It made her wonder if they'd met before. However, with everything Nick had said upon his arrival home, Victoria simply welcomed her guests. By this time, Nick had also entered the room-and the four adults began discussing the problem they all wanted solved.

While Jeremiah and La'akea talked with Victoria and Nick, Barrett, who was in bunkhouse alone, sat on his bed reading the telegram he'd been sent. Barrett hadn't liked it when he'd heard through his old war contact that they had heard the government had pulled one Mister Shaw to get the information on General Alderson from him. His friend-a former *Copperhead - had promised to follow the man who had been pointed out to him as being Mr. Shaw. If he turned out to be man the government pulled in, Barrett's contact would 'take care of him'. If not, he'd send Barrett word and then leave California. Looking at the telegram once more, Barrett took a deep breath and relaxed, visible relief could be seen on every inch of his face as he did so. If Barrett's former war contact said there was nothing to worry about and had left, he wasn't going to lose any more sleep over it.

Barrett stood up and walked over to the wood stove. Opening the door to the stove, he threw the telegram in and-striking a match-lit the paper and watched it burn. As he did so he thought on General Alderson and how the two had accidentally found out the other was actually spying for the South. It wouldn't have mattered to Barrett only his family was fiercely loyal to the North. If they'd known-or knew- of his ties to the South they'd have disinherited him. It was that secret…his ties to the South-that General Alderson was holding over his head in order to get Barrett's help when it came living out of sight as it were. As long as the old man didn't start demanding money for his silence, Barrett had decided his silence was a small price to pay to remain in good standing with his father… who had a fair amount of money…and the people around him. He might have continued on with his thoughts only Duke McColl opened the bunkhouse door, poked his head inside and told him Nick wished to see him.

*COPPERHEADS

. /j/jala/2629860.0032.105/-lincoln-s-critics-the-copperheads?rgn=main;view=fulltext


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

La'akea was folding some of her husband's clothes when she heard the sound of something hitting the fence outside, probably rocks. A few minutes later her husband walked into the bedroom of the small guest home that stood not a hundred yards behind the main house. It was a small ten by ten room that held a bed, dresser that set next to a window and a closet that stood in far right hand corner of the room. The walls were a plain white with a few pictures scattered here and there. He looked hot, tired and more than disgusted. She took a wild guess and asked, "Barrett?"

Jeremiah nodded as he took off his shirt and put it in the basket his wife used for their dirty clothes. "How that man lives with himself; how any man can live with themselves with the attitude he has, is beyond belief." He began relaying his first day working with the other ranch hands.

" _This is Jeremiah," Nick, who had stepped outside the house with Jeremiah, looked at Barrett. "I just hired him. I was hoping you'd show him the bunkhouse and introduce him to the men. Heath and I have a few pressing matters to attend to."_

 _Barrett looked the newcomer over. Without the capability to remember a face he'd only seen once years ago, Barrett was clueless as to who was standing before him. However, he was amazed he was being asked to show the man around. If anything, he'd expect for McColl to do such a thing. However, since he didn't care to argue with Nick, he smiled. "Sure thing, Nick." He then led Jeremiah to the bunkhouse. Shortly afterwards, he and Jeremiah were helping brand some of the cows._

"The man doesn't seem to know how to say more than a couple of sentences without adding either crude language or rude remarks. If I had a say in it, the man would be fired." Jeremiah told La'akea as she finished putting away the clothes and began rubbing his shoulders; he'd sat backwards on a chair.

"But he never recognized you." La'akea was relieved, as she'd prayed like crazy that would be the case.

"No, no he didn't." Jeremiah hung his head down while his wife rubbed the back of his neck. However, he surprised her when he told her he didn't want her leaving the house unless one of the Barkleys were with her. "In fact, I've asked the family if they can find someone who can stay here with you while I'm working with Nick, Heath or the men."

"What did Barrett say when he saw me, or what did the men say?" La'akea couldn't see any other reason for her husband to make such a request.

"Basically, the same thing Mr. Pierce said." Jeremiah answered, not caring to repeat the crude words spoken by Barrett. "It was all I could do to answer the way you and I agreed I would-should any of the men say such things." He visibly shuddered just a little. "It made me sick to my stomach, though I made it crystal clear you were not for sale." The fact that he was going to tell Nick what the man said after the mission was over didn't need to be discussed at the moment.

"Was it you rocks throwing before you came in?" La'akea gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Yes." Jeremiah shook his head and went on to say how he'd stuck with Barrett when Heath showed up, behaving as Barrett did. In fact, he admitted to acting a bit worse in hopes of gaining favor in their suspect's eyes. "I had to do something. Why did the general have to be part of the conspiracy to kill President Lincoln!" Jeremiah let out a frustrated growl. "I hated behaving that way towards Heath Barkley! He deserves better."

La'akea, who had finished giving her husband a backrub, waited until he turned around to say anything. "At least the gentleman knows it's an act. It would have been worse if you had went along with keeping the family in the dark." She then said that, for his sake, she'd pray that it wouldn't take him long to gain Barrett's trust.

Jeremiah gave her a half smile as he pulled her down onto his lap. "For everyone's sake I hope that will be the case and then," he paused, causing her to wonder what was coming. "I'm thinking you're right. After this is over, I need to quit taking these type of jobs. I mean, I have the freight business in Kansas, along with the two mines in Nevada. I also have my hand in the shipping industry."

"You also have your law degree." La'akea smiled when she thought about the few times he'd stepped in and helped out a friend or acquaintance. If anyone asked her, the law field is really where her husband really belonged.

Jeremiah simply chuckled before he started kissing her, something that might have led to something else if it weren't for the knock that came on their front door. "We could just ignore it." Jeremiah muttered as kissed the side of his wife's cheek.

La'akea laughed, but pulled away-standing up as she did so- when the knock came again. "No, I think we best answer."

Jeremiah stood up and walked out of the room, knowing there was no use in arguing with his wife. She won most of the time anyway. Both he and La'akea were surprised to see Nick on their porch, and wondered what had happened. However, Jeremiah didn't say anything until Nick had stepped inside and Jeremiah had shut the door.

"What brings you here?" Jeremiah asked once Nick was sitting on the plain brown couch that sat against the west living room wall while he and La'akea chose to sit in the two chairs near their fireplace.

"As far as Barrett and the men are concerned, I've come to talk to you about your behavior towards Heath." Nick leaned back and gave Jeremiah a soft glare, and then smiled wide. "The truth is I used that only as excuse to do as Heath asked me to do."

"What is that?" Jeremiah was confused. However, the confusion was quickly replaced by astonishment when Nick told him what Heath had realized when meeting them at Tom's grave. "My brother has a mighty good memory. He wanted me to thank you for getting him and his comrades out of that prison before anything more happened. I mean, we both hope for the best in this situation, but he doesn't want to risk waiting to tell you how grateful he is for that help either."

Jeremiah smiled. "There's no need to thank me. For the most part, I was raised in a home where you did what was right no matter what."

' _For the most part'_ didn't surprise Nick-especially after having to look at his own father as a very good, but still human, man…not someone to be put on a pedestal. No living mortal belonged on one of those. "He still thanks you." Nick stood up and then added in a gruff voice-one that Jeremiah saw right through, "You need to pull back on the behavior. It won't be tolerated around here."

"Yes, sir." Jeremiah gave Nick a mock salute-one that had Nick laughing…until he walked over and took a hold of the front door handle. "Barrett's expecting you to work with him tomorrow morning, seemed eager to have you be the one to help him. Just be careful around him, I don't trust him now." Nick said as he stepped out of the home and shut the door behind him-the whole time wondering why he all of a sudden felt very protective of Jeremiah Shaw/Stone.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Jeremiah was halfway wishing he'd had the barber cut even more of his hair off, as the sun was doing its best to chase any living creature out of the wide open range he and Barrett were working in. Once again, he had to mentally shake his head at the language that was coming out of the man's mouth. 'Maybe I need to buy him an instructional book on the English language' Jeremiah thought when the longtime employee used a word incorrectly in his sentence.

"You know, it's nice to have someone else on this ranch who thinks the same way I do." Barrett let go of the last cow they had to brand and looked at Jeremiah after the other help they'd had walked away.

Jeremiah took a bandana out of his pocket and wiped his forehead. "With all the men the Barkleys have working for them, you want me to believe we're the only two who don't care for the addition the Barkley family acquired?" He gave Barrett a doubtful look as he spoke.

Barrett shrugged his shoulders and scoffed, swearing as he did so. "More and more of them are actually thinking it wasn't such a bad thing." He then began asking Jeremiah questions, one told Jeremiah the man wanted to know more about him.

"All over the Midwest," Jeremiah answered when Barrett asked him where he was from. He paused-as he was still struggling with the fact that he never should have been raised as a Shaw. However, Jeremiah shook off 'that struggle' and continued talking. "Father never could sit still, and he had his hand in a number of businesses."

"Wanderlust, my father had that in him too." Barrett turned and nodded in the direction of the bunkhouse. "We best hurry if we want any lunch before we start mending fences this afternoon."

"I'm eating at my house, promised La'akea I wouldn't be late." Jeremiah informed Barrett as the two started walking.

Barrett grinned and again congratulated Jeremiah on making such a good buy. "The way you talk, the two of you married during the Civil War. Were you overseas during the whole war?"

"Only during the first half of it. However; before you asked, I never wore any man's uniform. It came in handy at times." He purposely gave Barrett a sly smile as he answered….as he'd been told that General Alderson often used men who hadn't actually joined any particular unit to his bidding. He hoped Barrett would assume that he was the type of man the wanted general was known to use-maybe even be one of them.

While Barrett did his best not to show how Jeremiah's words affected him, but it did no good. His co-worker saw the small amount of excitement that appeared in the ranch hand's eyes. "Me and a couple of the guys are going into town later, get a few drinks and play some poker. Why don't you join us? That is, if you can tear yourself away from that woman of yours."

As much as Jeremiah wanted to say no, he knew he couldn't. "Don't worry about my wife; she's not my boss. I'd be happy to join the fun." He then headed down the road towards the home he and La'akea were sharing while Barrett headed for the bunkhouse. However, he hadn't gone very far when a voice from a clump of trees spoke.

"Sit down on something and act like you're having problems with your boot or something."

Adam Pierce! Jeremiah silently groaned and looked around. It only took a split second to see an old tree stump. Soon he was sitting down and taking off his boot. "What do you want? You're not supposed to risk coming here." Jeremiah asked with more than an upset tone in his voice, one he didn't care to hide.

"I know that, and I wouldn't have only I got a telegram today." Adam sounded no happier than Jeremiah felt. "Boss's demanded that I talk to you and find out how things are going."

"If you'd waited in town, you could have asked me that." Jeremiah told him of Barrett's invite. "Now, I would appreciate it if you went back to town and stayed there. I said I'd report to you as I could, and I will! You're risking everything by coming out here." He put his boot back on and stood up-after making a demand of his own…that Adam not leave his hiding place until dark. "And, don't tell me how long you'll be there. I already know and, at this point, I don't care. If you leave that spot before dark and I find out about it, I'm off the case! I will not have your stupidity endangering anyone's life…and I'm not just talking about mine!"

Adam might have argued, but they were too far into the mission to start looking for someone else to do the job. "Fine," Adam sat down and leaned against the tree. If he couldn't leave until nightfall, he might as well be comfortable. "You think you can spare an apple at least,:

"I'll toss one in later." Jeremiah growled and walked away.

From where Victoria sat in her buggy, she could see Jeremiah as he sat on the log and removed his boot. She might have begun thinking on the reason he was on the ranch, but she was busy thinking about his eyes and the way he walked. However, due to the fact that she had long ago accepted she would never see her oldest son, she wasn't thinking immediate family connection. No, she was thinking on the various cousins-whether they be first cousins, second cousins or farther back. 'You have a what my late mother-in-law would call 'the Barkley walk'. I wonder if it was your mother or grandmother who was a Barkley' Victoria thought as she turned her buggy towards the main house, telling herself that after Mr. Shaw's mission was completed she would have to corner him about the matter.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Jeremiah sat at a table that stood in the middle of Harry's saloon. While he had a beer off to the side, he was barely touching it. He never drank a lot when he was playing cards. On the other hand, the men who had ridden into town with him and Barrett didn't care. That being the case, neither him nor Barrett were surprised when one of the men lost a lot of money to Jeremiah.

"You need to go sleep it off." Barrett grabbed the man's collar when he started saying Jeremiah must have cheated. "I've been watching him deal-he's not dealing from the bottom and, before you say it, those cards he's dealing are mine! They're NOT marked!" He then shoved his friend back down onto his seat. The man had the decency to look embarrassed. Apologizing, he stood back up saying he was going to see if Harry had a place he could rest until the others were ready to go home.

"We haven't even been here an hour." Jeremiah looked at Barrett after the man walked away with the help of the other two men who were with them, both promised to be right back. "Is he always like this?"

"Always, even during the war." Barrett replied as he took the cards from Jeremiah and began shuffling them. "The general he served under thought about getting him kicked out of his unit more than once."

Due to everything Jeremiah had read before accepting this assignment, he knew which general Barrett was referring too. "Guess Hacker needed all the help he could get." Jeremiah answered while lowering voice. Hacker was actually an alternative name General Alderson used only to those serving him in one way or the other…a name no one but the men working with him were supposed to know. Jeremiah hoped that by using the name when talking about Alderson he would gain some more points as it were.

It worked-as Barrett's eyes widened in shock and he quickly replied-lowering his voice as well. "You helped the general out as well?"

"I helped a lot of generals out." Jeremiah answered as he took a small swallow of beer. He hope Barrett would assume he was implying that the generals he'd helped were on the South's side. It was a hope that was granted as Barrett did just that, the man said nothing as the other men returned and their game resumed.

While Barrett and the other men talked, Jeremiah-for the most part-simply listened. It was because of remaining quiet that he overheard a couple of visitors talking at a nearby table. Although, he couldn't hear everything they said he still heard one of them men say 'It never would have happened if the idiot hadn't assumed they were after him.' Jeremiah repeated those words silently to himself as an idea formed in his mind. By the time the game was over, Jeremiah had come up with a plan he hoped would work…as it would speed things up.

"You leaving already?" Barrett and the other men asked when Jeremiah folded and called it quits.

"I have some activity planned back at my house." Jeremiah inwardly cringed as the words came out of his mouth. As far as he was concerned 'those activities' had no business being discussed in public. However, it was one thing that would give Barrett and the other men no reason to question his departure.

True to their nature, Barrett and the other men chuckled and made some crude remarks. It was all Jeremiah could do not to feed the men his fists-as the major of the remarks were about his relationship to La'akea. As it was, he simply turned and walked out of the saloon.

Once outside, Jeremiah hurried around the corner of the saloon and entered in the back way, hoping Harry or one of the waitresses would be in the back. He was in lucky as Sally, a twenty-five year old brunette, practically bumped into him. Because he and his wife had actually met Sally when they first arrived in Stockton, Jeremiah knew how friendly she was-even to someone such as La'akea. He pulled a few coins out of his pocket and held them out to the young woman. "I saw Nick and Heath Barkley at another table when I left. I'll give you these, plus another couple coins later, if you go tell them to meet 'a friend' at the hotel in fifteen minutes. If anyone hears you and asks, tell them the truth…you can't give them details when you don't know what's going on."

"Don't worry about giving more money later, Mister Stone. This is enough." Sally took the coins from him and turned to go back into the main part of the saloon. "I'll deliver the message and keep my mouth shut."

Jeremiah smiled and then quickly exited the building. He wanted to get Adam Pierce as well. After all, he didn't care to repeat what he had in mind more than necessary.

While Jeremiah was busy in town, La'akea had been thrilled-but nervous- when Victoria Barkley had knocked on her door. The two women now sat in the living room…which consisted of a couch, two chairs, a coffee table and a small piano-which Tom and Victoria had placed in the home years before, so anyone using the house could use it if they wished. Each piece of furniture was spaced evenly throughout the twelve by fourteen room.

"Would you like some tea?" La'akea asked once Mrs. Barkley was seated on the couch.

Victoria smiled and thanked her. "Yes, I would."

La'akea hurried through the archway that separated the kitchen from the living room, and then back with two cups of tea; she handed one of the cups to Victoria before sitting down in one of the chairs. "I want to thank you for," she paused and then said, "giving your support to my husband and his work." La'akea hoped she had chosen the right words, for even after all the time she'd lived in the United States she still struggled with the English language at times.

"You are more than welcome. I am grateful to learn he helped Nick out a time or two during the war." Victoria told her before setting her partially filled cup of tea on the coffee table. Taking a deep breath, Victoria continued speaking. "Though, I was hoping to learn more about you and your husband. That is, if I can do so without crossing any lines as it were."

The fact that Victoria's statement made La'akea a tad bit uncomfortable was extremely clear-as the young woman set down her own cup, smoothed out her skirt even as she shifted her position in the chair. "I am from the Philippines , and my husband was raised in Kansas. However, he has umm traveled many places. Matthew Shaw had his hand in a number of businesses, a …trait that my husband shares with him. We met when the two of them traveled to my island. Later, after your Civil War was over, Jeremiah came back to my island in 'sixty-seven and asked me to marry him. It was a proposal I accepted …gladly." The fact that they remained childless was not by choice, was a fact La'akea saw no reason to discuss.

"Matthew Shaw? That is your husband's father?" Victoria asked-disturbed that the name actually rang a bell, but why was a fact that she couldn't remember for the life of her.

La'akea felt her heart pounding just a little. She had made a few promises to her husband-and had no intention of breaking them, even if she thought she should. "He was my father-in-law." La'akea replied politely. "He passed away last year, as did Mama Shaw." She then asked Victoria to tell her about the daughter she'd only heard about, something Victoria was more than happy to do. La'akea listened attentively, grateful that the conversation had turned away from her husband's past and that she was learning more about his sister at the same time.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

La'akea had just stepped out onto her porch when she saw Victoria walking towards her house. Inwardly, she sighed. It's not that she didn't like Victoria, because she did. In fact, the more she got to know her, the more La'akea admired the Barkley matriarch…there in lay La'akea's problem. She had given her word to Jeremiah that she would say nothing of the true relationship that existed between her husband and the Barkleys…that, if they were told, it would be by him. However, the more she got to know them, the more La'akea wished the family knew the truth. As Victoria drew closer, La'akea could see how serious of a mood Mrs. Barkley was in. After the conversation she'd had with Jeremiah the night before, La'akea didn't have to wonder what had Victoria Barkley worried.

" _Are you sure that's wise? You, Nick, Heath, McColl and Adam Pierce may not shoot to kill, or even to wound anyone. However, I can guarantee you Barrett will be doing exactly that." La'akea stood in their bedroom not pleased what he had come up with—even if Nick, Heath, McColl and Mr. Pierce all thought the plan had merit and had a high probability of working._

 _Jeremiah let out a frustrated sigh as he ran his hand through his hair and walked over to the window. He could see Barrett off in the distance; he was finishing up a small job Nick had given him. "We could be here for weeks; maybe months, before Barrett will trust me enough to open up to me." Jeremiah turned away from the window and quickly closed the gap between him and his wife. "If Barrett sincerely believes someone is out to get him because of the General, he may very well tell me where the man is. If nothing else, we could follow him when he goes to visit the general… which I'm sure he will do if he doesn't confess everything first."_

" _He knows everyone but Adam Pierce!" La'akea snapped, doing her best not to raise her voice, thus yelling at her husband._

" _Which is exactly why no one but Mr. Pierce will let himself be seen and be the only one talking." Jeremiah said as he pulled his wife to him, covered her mouth with his and worked on changing the course of her thoughts._

La'akea shook off the memory when Victoria stopped a few feet from the porch. "They've gone, haven't they?" She figured there was no need to say anything else-as she just knew she was right when it came to the expression on her guest's face.

"Yes, in spite of my objections, Nick, Heath and McColl left shortly after Jeremiah and Barrett rode away. Mr. Pierce will be waiting for them near the north ridge. Do you mind if we talk inside?" Victoria, who had become more and more convinced Jeremiah had at least some Barkley blood inside him, pointed towards the front door. The conversation she meant to have, the questions she was thinking to ask, was not something she wished for just anyone to overhear.

"Of course," La'akea fought the butterflies in her stomach as she turned around and headed back inside with her guest following. Once inside, Victoria sat on the couch while La'akea excused herself, saying she was going to get some tea and would bring Victoria some if she wanted. It was an offer Victoria thanked her for, but declined.

"I tried to talk Jeremiah out of this." La'akea walked back into the living room and sat in the chair closest to Victoria.

"But he wants to push things along," Victoria nodded. "The others do too. Neither Nick nor Heath wish to keep Barrett employed now since they know the truth. Only," Victoria said as she shrugged her shoulders, "They can't simply fire him after ten years of faithful service either." Victoria paused and then admitted Jeremiah's mission wasn't the main reason for her visit.

"What is it?" La'akea put her partially empty cup on her lap and kept a hold of it.

"Normally, I would not inquire into anyone's family history as that's a very personal subject." Victoria sat up even straighter than she already was. "But the way your husband walks, and his eyes… they're both screaming Barkley at me. I finally got curious enough, I just had to ask if his mother was a Barkley or one of his grandmothers."

It was all La'akea could do to keep from showing how Victoria's inquiry unsettled her. For a split second, she thought about telling the Barkley matriarch that she was right…that it was a very personal matter and to leave it alone. However, she couldn't. La'akea stood up, set her cup on the coffee table and walked over to the window, never looking at Victoria. Naturally, the reaction grabbed any of Victoria's attention that had been tempted to stray.

After a moment, La'akea began talking, having realized there was something she could say without breaking her promise to her husband. "Jeremiah was adopted when he was just over a year old."

"Oh," Victoria quickly started to apologize for putting La'akea in a bad spot only to be told there was nothing to be sorry for.

"My later mother-in-law and I shared a few things in common." La'kea turned away from the window and looked at Victoria. She went onto to admit she'd never been able to conceive a child, and to tell Victoria all about Mrs. Shaw's history when it came to children.

Making an assumption, Victoria smiled and said, "So, they went to an orphanage and adopted a child." She was shocked when La'akea shook her head.

"My father-in-law's journal records how he went riding one night, trying to think of a way to help his wife. Adoption did come to his mind, but before he could really decide if that would really help his wife, he had to hurry and hide from five Indians who looked as if they were on the warpath. Once they were out of sight, he realized he could smell smoke. He pushed his horse forward and was shocked to see a house on fire."

Victoria stiffened as the memory of her own home burning flashed through her mind. When La'akea stopped talking, Victoria pushed her to continue. "And?"

"He was horrified to hear the screams of a small child. He jumped off his horse and ran to an open window. Jeremiah's crib was just close enough to the window that Mr. Shaw could reach in and grab him-even if he had to stretch to do it." La'akea sighed as she remembered the writing in her father-in-law's journal. "He felt so guilty that he couldn't go inside and try to save the parents he just knew were inside only he had no one to leave Jeremiah with…and he wasn't a hundred percent sure that the Indians he'd seen wouldn't come back. Actually, he assumed that Jeremiah's mother was inside, as he could see a someone lying on the ground off to the far side of the house. It was so dark; the only thing he could tell was that it was a man. Anyway, due to the fear of the Indians returning, he got on his horse and rode as fast as he could away from the fire."

Victoria felt shock waves go through her. Tom had found Silas on the ground on the side farthest from Jarrod's room. She remembered how she thought she should know the name Matthew Shaw. Was all this a coincidence or could Jeremiah Shaw and Jarrod Barkley be one in the same?

"Mrs. Barkley?" La'akea, who had noticed Victoria paling slightly, stepped away from the window.

"I'm fine." Victoria Barkley stood up. "Many families lost loved ones in that way. Though, you'll forgive me for cutting this visit short. I need to go home. I promised my daughter I'd work on getting some of my own stories copied. I just haven't taken the time to do it yet." Victoria turned and walked out of the house. There was no way she was going to admit that she was going home to read from the journals, both hers and Tom's…the ones that were being kept at the time of Jarrod's disappearance.

For her part, La'akea stood by the window praying she had done the right thing.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Silas, who had just walked out of the dining room, grew instantly concerned when he saw Victoria entering the house looking very much unsettled. "Mrs. Barkley? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Victoria assured her longtime employee as she started up the stairs. "If you really need me, I'll be up in the attic." She would have informed Silas of her suspicions when it came to Jeremiah Shaw, but she didn't want to get his hopes up. After all, she knew her good friend still blamed himself for what had happened all those years ago…even if she didn't.

Silas, who was sure there was something his employer wasn't saying, shook his head and continued on with his duties. If Victoria Barkley didn't want to tell him what was going on, he wasn't going to press the issue.

By the time Victoria opened the attic door, stepped inside the room and lit a lamp, she had grown more certain that the old journals would confirm what she now suspected. Walking over to a brown trunk covered with various engravings, she knelt down and lifted up the lid. Reaching in, she began removing one book after another. Finally she was looking at two large journals. Taking both books out, Victoria stood up, shut the lid, sat down on the top of the trunk, set the smaller of the two books down and then opened the largest journal.

Entry after entry spoke of the last bit of their journey, of Jarrod's birth and the building of their home. By the time the journal was finished, Jarrod had had his first birthday…but there was no mention of anyone named Shaw.

Victoria set the book down and picked up the second journal, glancing at the clock on the wall. Forty five minutes…almost an hour had passed. She started reading the second book only to have Silas open the door and tell her the reverend and his wife were in the living room-that they'd come to pick up the donations she'd told the couple she had for them. He was surprised when she pointed towards a couple boxes and asked him to take them to the good man and his wife. "Give them my apologies, I cannot go downstairs at the moment."

Now Silas _knew_ something was wrong. Victoria Barkley was _always_ a gracious host, and _never_ simply brushed anyone aside. Still, he simply retrieved the boxes and left. 'If it's my business,' Silas thought as walked out of the room 'She'll tell me.' Even as he told himself that, Silas was trying to think of a way to get Victoria to talk.

Nothing but an occasional bird singing outside could be heard as Victoria again started reading. She was almost ready to admit she'd never heard the name Matthew Shaw when her eyes fell upon words she, herself, had penned over thirty year ago.

 _We had a couple stop by the ranch today. Actually, I should say they were forced to stop-their wagon wheel came off. The gentleman, Matthew Shaw, is a dark haired, tall and very broad shouldered jack of all trades…his words, not mine. His wife is thin, almost to the point of too thin. Tom helped Mr. Shaw fix the wheel while_ _Mrs. Shaw and I_ _fixed their lunches. She and her husband_ _were_ _more than polite, but I can't help but feel sorry for them. There seems to such an air of sadness about them._

Victoria's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't been wrong; she _had_ heard the name Matthew Shaw before! She continued reading. Towards the end of the journal two other entries jumped out at her.

 _Our home is gone and our son missing. Tom and the other men have searched and searched, they have talked to more people than they care to count-including Matthew Shaw, who Tom was shocked to bump into while the man was checking some traps. None of the people were of any help, though they all gave Tom and the other searchers their condolences._

Victoria fought to control herself as she finished the first entry and stared the second one that had caught her attention.

 _Fred stopped by today. He wanted to know if Tom still wanted to buy the land south of our home. "I thought I had it sold, but my cousin handling the sale said the gentleman who was talking to him about it -one Matthew Shaw-has up and left California._

Victoria stared at the words on the pages in front of her eyes. Shock, disbelief and a various other emotions ran through her as the truth penetrated every corner of her mind. Jeremiah Shaw's blue eyes and Barkley walk didn't exist because of a distant cousin relation. No, the man who was working undercover on their ranch was none other than her lost son-Jarrod Thomas Barkley. Tears fought to escape, a few did. When a knock came again on the attic door, Victoria quickly stood up, dried her eyes, composed herself and hurried over to the door. She wasn't surprised to see Silas on the other side.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Mrs. Barkley, but it's time for lunch." Silas told her, the concern he had for her could be seen in his dark black eyes.

"Thank you," Victoria did her best to smile as she shut the door.

"We have known each other a long time, haven't we, Mrs. Barkley?" Silas asked the question more like a statement.

Victoria couldn't help but smile. "Yes, yes we have, and you want to know what's wrong."

Silas, who had quit arguing with himself, nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Barkley, I do. If you can't trust me, it's time for me to leave." Silas began turning away-not because he was thinking to leave, but because he wanted to get Victoria to talk to him...and acting if he was going was a ruse he hoped would work. He was delighted when it did.

"You're not going anywhere but the kitchen." Victoria looked around to make sure their new maid wasn't around. The over friendly woman from Denmark was a hard worker, but Victoria wasn't about to have her overhear the conversation she was going to have with Silas.

"Yes, ma'am." Silas made a beeline down the stairs and into the kitchen, as did Victoria. Once they were seated near the kitchen counter, Victoria explained everything. By the time she was through Silas felt as if he needed to pick his jaw up off the floor and restart his heart. He'd known from the beginning there was more to Jeremiah Shaw than what everyone thought. However, since he'd had no proof, he'd said nothing. He could also see fear appear in Victoria's eyes, and he quickly guessed why.

"He'll come back with Nick and Heath; they'll all come back alive." Then, not knowing Jeremiah Shaw already knew the whole story, Silas added, "You'll be able to tell him the truth."

"I hope so." Victoria sighed and looked toward the window-she could actually see a bit of the house Jeremiah and La'akea were using. "I hope he does, and I hope they'll stay."

Silas-who saw a faraway look appear in Victoria's eyes, said nothing as he stood up and went about his business. He figured his friend needed time alone, though he was praying and hoping he'd see Victoria's desire granted.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

As Jeremiah and Barret traveled down one path after another-Barrett had been told there was a bear causing trouble with the cattle, and it needed to be caught. Barrett was talking up a storm, saying he wasn't totally convinced there was a bear. "I think Thomson just made it up to get us away from the work!"

Silently, Jeremiah screamed _'His name is Heath Barkley-or at least Heath!'_ However, he resisted the urge to say the words out loud. Instead he did what he could to get Barrett totally convinced while throwing out some bait, as it were. "I don't know about that. I saw some pretty big tracks yesterday, thought it might be bear-told Nick Barkley about them too. Could be he sent that half-brother of his looking for them. Used to do that myself during the war—that is, have someone tell one of the generals I knew something and then the general would turn around and send me out to check it." He lowered his voice-as if to make sure none of the other hunters who might cross their path would hear anything. Of course, such an action was not really necessary simply because the other men Nick had sent out were really government agents who had been told to stay in other areas making it look as if they were seriously looking for a troublesome bear. "Though, I wish Hacker would have had me go somewhere beside the South End.'

The 'South End' was a term that the Northern Spy had found in the report handed to him by his superiors…an area they said Alderson sent only his most trustworthy men, meaning men who were staunchly for the South, but serving in Union. Jeremiah dared use the information…as Nick had admitted that he'd noticed that General Alderson never seemed to fully trust Barrett. That meant, Barrett would have no way of knowing that Jeremiah had never really been where he was claiming to have been sent. He hoped that the information would elevate him in Barrett's eyes; it did.

"You were sent there!" Barrett's eyes widened, the excitement he felt shown as his eyes began to dance. He couldn't believe it! He'd overheard a few stories being shared by a couple of comrades who also traitors in the eyes of the North…but heroes in the eyes of the South. He went to ask Jeremiah to confirm some of the stories he'd heard only to find himself and Jeremiah both flying off their horses and diving for cover as bullets whizzed over Barrett's head. Barrett took cover behind a boulder just big enough to hide him while Jeremiah found shelter behind another one; the two boulders were mere inches apart.

Barrett starting cursing and asked Jeremiah who the blazes he had gotten mad. Jeremiah simply stared at him and snapped, "That bullet didn't go over _my_ head! It went over _yours_! I should be the one asking that question!"

Barrett took a chance and poked his head out. He saw Adam Pierce off in the distance. Of course, since he didn't know him, he was clueless as what the man did for a living. However, when another bullet hit the boulder, Barrett cursed, ducked and shot back. He swore as the stranger had already ducked behind some trees. However, he had shock waves run through him when Adam did his own share of cursing and then blamed Barrett for a small part of the attack on Maysville, saying he'd helped General Alderson, who was the force behind it and then yelled, "They killed ma' family-or might as well have! Me and ma' friends, we're goin' have our revenge!"

"You're wrong!" Jeremiah pretended to be surprised. "Barrett had nothing to with that!" He went on to give a brief synopsis of what was supposed to have happened.

Another shot rang through the air, from slightly different angle while Adam again yelled. "Your buddy's lyin' to you! He and General Alderson ordered that attack!" He went on to say he and his friends would have simply allowed the government to find the general for them only they'd learned where Barrett was, and that he knew where the general was-but wasn't talking. "If we can't get the general, and Mr. Barrett won't give him to us, we'll just have to take him out instead! It will be more justice than we've gotten so far! Probably his idea anyway! General Alderson isn't that bright!" Again, shots rang out.

Jeremiah dove behind another boulder…one that set further back from the road, cursing Barrett as he did so. "I admire loyalty in any man, but this is taking it too far. I'm going to get out of here."

"You can't do that! They'll kill me!" Barrett barked, panic in his eyes.

Jeremiah ducked another 'bullet', as did Barrett-who again tried to shoot Adam. "Well, from what I can see, you have a choice…give them Alderson or die for the man." He said the words wondering if Barrett really had that much loyalty in him for any person-or idea. If he did, no amount of pressure was going to break him…and Jeremiah would have to continue showing his friendship to the man before him. The idea made him ill.

The struggle Barrett was having stopped when an bullet whizzed over his head-and it came from the direction behind him. He threw his gun out into the open and yelled, "It was General Alderson's idea, not mine! He said he need to convince the North he was on their side, that folks were growing suspicious! The whole time he was fighting for your side!" By this time, Adam had hurried down the hill while Jeramiah had stood up.

"Tell me where Alderson is, now! I want him to tell me this himself because I don't believe you!" Adam pointed his gun at Barrett. Barrett gave him the location, along with the fact that the general had at least four other men with him who could back up what Barrett had said. The moment he stopped talking, Barrett was shocked to see the three other hunters, along with Nick, Heath and Fred Madden surrounding him…and heard Jeremiah begin talking.

"Take him to your jail," Jeremiah put his gun in his holster and listed all the charges that the government would be filing against him. "We'll go get Alderson."

"You!" Barrett snapped and lunged at Jeremiah, "You're the traitor!" He never laid a finger on Jeremiah though—as Nick knocked him to the ground, afterwards Fred slapped a pair of handcuffs on Barrett and hauled him away.

"You still need all the help you can get. I'm coming with you." Nick looked at Jeremiah.

Heath quickly stepped away from the tree he'd been standing next and said the same thing.

"Fine," Jeremiah smiled wide, even as he let out a silent sigh. It felt good that he was getting to know his brothers, to see how honorable men they were. Only, not knowing his wife had told Victoria his story without coming right out and saying he was Mrs. Barkley's son-Jarrod, his decision to remain silent on 'that subject' stayed intact.

When it came to Nick and Heath, who had also mounted their horses, they-like Victoria- had noticed Jeremiah's walk. On top of that, they'd begun to notice how he held himself as he rode his horse. Nick could see Tom while Heath could see Eugene-who rode like Tom. Nick began wondering the same thing that Victoria had at first…which female relative of Jeremiah's had been a Barkley. On the other hand, Heath found himself thinking about a house fire, a single tomahawk and the assumption that the Indians had taken a small infant. With Jeremiah's long hair and beard, Heath found himself wondering if the assumption others had made had actually been right. However, neither he nor Nick said a word. This wasn't not the time or place for it.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

La'akea, who had not been all that surprised to receive word that Mrs. Barkley wanted to see her at the main house, walked with Silas down the path that led from the home she shared with her husband to the Barkley mansion. He had come and told her that Victoria Barkley wanted her to go to the main house The faithful servant hadn't said a word when it came to what Victoria had told him, but it didn't matter. La'akea-who had a way of telling when someone was holding something back- was tempted to ask Silas just what Victoria had figured out. Instead, she told Rebecca-Duke McColl's daughter- who was staying with her that morning- that she would be back as soon as she could.

As the two drew closer to the house, La'akea changed her mind and asked, "Just what does Mrs. Barkley wish to see me about?"

Silas simply smiled and assured La'akea that she was not in trouble in any way, shape or form. "She's waiting for you in the study." Silas opened the kitchen door-it was the closest door. You can go ahead. I have work to do around here." What he would find to do was another story-as he'd already finished his morning chores. However, he saw no reason to disclose that fact.

La'akea took a deep breath and then, walked through the kitchen and into hallway. It didn't take her long to make her way to the study or to knock on the thick wooden door. The whole time she felt as if she had been called away from her work to be talked to by her own parents for doing something wrong. Only, in this case, she had done nothing but keep back the fact that she knew the truth about her husband's relation to the Barkleys and that Matthew Shaw had left California in order to keep Jeremiah with him and his wife.

"Come in!" Victoria, who was inside the room called out when she heard the light tapping on the door. She stepped away from the window where she'd been standing when the door opened and La'akea entered the study.

"You wished to see me?" La'akea asked when Victoria leaned against the desk.

"Adam Pierce stopped by a while ago. Their trick worked. Barrett is in jail charged with obstructing justice, and Jeremiah, Nick, Heath and the others have left to capture General Alderson if they can." Victoria wasn't surprised when a mixture of relief and concern filled La'akea's eyes. "They'll be fine; I'm sure of that. However," Victoria gestured towards the couch, "there is something else I'd like to talk to you about…before the men get back."

La'akea, who had seen a large book with the word JOURNAL across the top cover laying on the desk, pretty well guessed what was coming. If she was right, she just hoped Jeremiah would forgive her for putting the fire under Victoria-as it were-a fire that got her looking into the past. La'akea sat down on the couch and surprised Victoria when she said, "You wish to discuss my husband."

Victoria, who had not expected for Jarrod's wife to guess why she had been sent for, didn't reply for a moment. She couldn't…as she quickly noticed the way La'akea kept glancing towards the journal and then to her-as if she already knew what was in the journal and was simply waiting to hear Victoria confirm it. "You know?" Victoria finally asked in a voice filled with shock and disbelief.

La'akea didn't know why she should be amazed that Victoria could read her so well. After all, she had seen the Barkley matriarch 'read' others more than once after arriving at the ranch. "I made my husband a promise, not to tell you or anyone. He only found out the truth when Mama Shaw lay on her deathbed…and she didn't have the true facts until Matthew lay dying himself-a mere three months before her passing. My husband thinks too many years have passed, and that he doesn't have enough evidence." La'akea went on to explain exactly what had happened and why Matthew had made the choice he had. "It does not justify keeping your son only it does explain it." La'akea then went on to explain her husband also feared the case would have been endangered if the focus was turned away from his mission. "I promised my husband not to tell you or any member of the family of your true relation, I never promised not to speak of the fire and how my father-in-law saved his life" La'akea then sighed. "I can't promise how he'll react when he finds out I did." She went on to ask if Victoria would expect Jeremiah to change his name back to Jarrod Barkley once the truth was out.

Victoria - who's initial reaction was one that said 'Of course, his name never should have been changed and, if he's upset with you for pointing me in the right direction, I'll set him straight the moment the men get back- realized that, as much as it hurt, she could not do that. After all, her son was thirty-two years old with a wife. "How he handles the names is up to him, not us. I just want my son back—just what that will entail is up to him. No matter what, the door is open…for both of you." Victoria smiled, as she'd seen the fear in La'akea's eyes and knew it was because her daughter-in-law was wondering if the family could truly accept her as a part of their family.

La'akea visibly relaxed and smiled. "Thank you. I admit, I hesitated to tell you what I did…not knowing if you could truly accept a Philippian daughter-in-law." She wondered if she sounded childish to the regal lady before her. The thought was quickly vanquished as Victoria smiled even wider and she closed the gap between La'akea and herself.

"You are more than welcome by me…and I think I'm safe in saying that will be the case when the others are told." Victoria gave La'akea, who had risen to her feet, a hug-one that La'akea returned.

"You will allow me to talk to my husband first, before you tell your other children?" La'akea didn't want the rug pulled out from under her husband before she had a chance to explain everything to him.

Victoria struggled only a minute before agreeing. Again, her son's age and circumstances made it so she knew she needed to respect La'akea's request. "Of course," With a smile a mile wide, she assured La'akea the matter was being left in her hands.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

 _ **A/N According to my research, there is a place in Australia named Townsville. However, to the best of my knowledge, no town in the United States has that name. I'm just giving the town in this chapter the name.**_

It was almost five o'clock in the evening before Jeremiah, Nick and Heath rode into Townsville. After discussing it with the other men, it had been decided that Adam Pierce would go to the nearest church and talk to the clergy there while the rest of the group would separate into two small groups and go into town, mingle among the people and see if they could confirm everything that Barrett had said. When the saloon came into their view. Jeremiah suggested going in for a drink; that is, after they took their horses to the livery stable. "But, don't even think about coming right out and asking about the general. If he does indeed live nearby, word would get back to him before any of us could bat an eye."

It didn't pass by Nick or Heath that Jeremiah was glancing more at Nick than Heath when he'd spoken the words. Nick wasn't sure whether or not he liked it that Jeremiah had learned to 'read' him so well or not. Still, he chuckled. Remembering Jeremiah's mock salute when he'd used the gentleman's behavior towards Heath as a cover to relay Heath's thanks, Nick returned the favor and saluted him. It made Heath and Jeremiah laugh. They wasted no time when it came to the livery stable and the horses. As soon as they had their animals taken care of, they headed towards the saloon.

"I hope we can find out what we need to without raising any suspicion. I'd hate to think that breaking into smaller groups did no good." Nick managed to keep his normally loud voice low enough that only Jeremiah and Heath had cause to listen.

"As far as anyone goes, we're just friends passing through town. As long as we keep our eyes and ears wide open, and our mouths shut-as it were-we just might learn something." Jeremiah replied, adding the most important thing was making sure they had each other's backs. Even as he spoke, Jeremiah found himself wishing his brothers knew who he was. Growing up as an only child often left him wishing for brothers. Though, once again, with nothing more than Mrs. Shaw's confession and a journal that spoke of how Matthew Shaw saved him, Jeremiah couldn't see them believing him. After all, many people had lost their lives in house fires caused by their enemies.

"You okay?" Both Nick and Heath, who had noticed the faraway look that appeared in Jeremiah's eyes, asked at the same time. That-both brothers speaking at the same time- made Jeremiah chuckle.

"Yeah, just," he shrugged his shoulders and answered once he'd stopped laughing. "Grew up without siblings and the Shaws been gone quite some time, it's been quite a while since I felt like anyone really had my back is all."

Nick and Heath exchanged knowing glances. After all, it wasn't until Victoria had bumped into Heath, recognized him as Tom's son and persuaded him to give the family a try that Nick had grown to know how it felt to have a brother watching out for him…and vice versa. However, it puzzled them both that Jeremiah had referred to his parents as 'the Shaws' instead of Mother and Father. It made Heath wonder if he was right when he thought on the story Silas had told him about the Indians and young Jarrod. On the other hand, Nick's impulsive nature wanted to start asking Jeremiah more about his family as he found himself thinking about the familiarity he felt around Jeremiah. However, the side that said to stay focused on why they came to Townsville-the side of him people rarely saw-won out. It might not have only he knew how important this mission was to Jeremiah, and he respected that. Heath was thinking along the same lines and said nothing.

"Let's get that drink." Nick slapped Jeremiah's back and headed for the saloon's swinging doors.

Any temptation he or Heath had to toss their decision to ask personal questions was quickly overshadowed when Jeremiah shocked them by whirling around and quickly exiting the building. Wasting no time, Nick and Heath turned and followed him. By the time they caught up with him he had up one block and turned into an alley.

"WHAT is going on?" Nick demanded-forcing himself to ask the question as quietly as he could-not easy when everything in him was telling him to raise his voice.

"There's a man in there that knows me, knows exactly what I do for a living." Jeremiah hissed back-even as he kept an eye towards the front of the alley. "I don't think he saw me-he was looking towards the back of the saloon when we entered." He went on to say he'd never thought he'd see the man in a place like Townsville. "He says cities are the only place to live." Jeremiah's dislike of the man could be seen in the disgusted look in his eyes, and heard in the tone of his voice.

"Which man?" Heath asked very much concerned. The same question was in Nick's eyes-only they were yelling the question.

"Neils Sanders," Jeremiah went on to describe the one man who had looked out of place in the building-a tall, red haired man who was dressed in a three piece business suit. "He would never been seen in a saloon before. For that matter," Jeremiah scoffed, "He would never drink beer or whiskey…drinks his wine and scotch, tells everyone he thinks he's better than them. I don't understand him being here."

"Barrett never mentioned his name." Nick said slowly-as he thought on the past and had more memories from the war come back to him. "Alderson was always meeting with men like that-always had a believable reason for doing so. Ten to one Alderson's holding something over his head, has to be for Sanders to be here."

"I think we best head to the church and catch Adam Pierce if we can." Heath spoke up.

"Yes," Jeremiah didn't ask why Heath brought Adam Pierce up. "With Sanders in town, I think it changes everything." He turned and hurried down the alley and then turned to his left. Nick and Heath wasted no time when it came to following Jeremiah.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

 _ **Previously: "I think we best head to the church and catch Adam Pierce if we can." Heath spoke up.**_

" _ **Yes," Jeremiah didn't ask why Heath brought Adam Pierce up. "With Sanders in town, it changes everything." He turned and hurried down the alley and then turned to his left. Nick and Heath wasted no time when it came to following Jeremiah.**_

"This mission is over if that man sees me. I'll have to stay out of sight, which means I won't be of much help." A person could have heard a pin drop on the floor as Jeremiah, who was standing next to the pulpit and keeping an eye out for any sign of someone walking by any of the windows or any sign the front door opening, finished speaking. He, Nick, Heath and Adam Pierce-who had still been talking with the good reverend when the three men entered the building, had been discussing the unexpected development.

Adam, who had actually had a hidden concern, looked at Jeremiah and had one fact hit him right between the eyes-a fact that would keep this gentleman out in the open without tipping off Mr. Sanders. He was elated as it would eliminate his secret worry. "Sanders name was mentioned in one of the meetings I was in before I came out here, and how the government expected him of turning bad. However," he hurried to add-due to fire which appeared in Jeremiah's eyes, "we had no idea he'd actually be out here. Anyway, one of our superiors mentioned something you once told him when it came to Sanders' ability to recognize people-that is after an undercover job you did a few years after the war. What did you say when it came to his ability to recognize a face he hadn't seen in years. That is, what did you say his exact words were the first time you saw him?" Adam kept his face towards Jeremiah.

Puzzlement filled Jeremiah's eyes for only a split second, and then a real struggle appeared in his eyes. It made Nick and Heath wonder what difference his first meeting with this Neils Sanders made. They didn't have to wait long-as Jeremiah turned away from Adam and, leaning against the side of the pulpit, said in a somewhat disgusted tone, _" 'I don't ever forget a face…as long as it doesn't change.'_ He laughed afterwards and then grew serious with the group of men they were with. He told us in no uncertain terms that the ones who were clean shaven were stay that way-and the ones who had facial hair were forbidden to shave." Jeremiah turned around and looked straight at Mr. Pierce. "You want me to shave my beard and cut my hair….cut it as short as I had it during the war."

Adam nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "Look, if you get rid of that extra hair and play the part of a mute, Sanders won't recognize you. That is, if he should cross paths with the three of you. We have to have you out there! After all, you can still write. You can get these two," Adam said as he pointed towards Nick and Heath, "to ask any questions you have."

Jeremiah glanced at Nick and Heath. He couldn't help but think that the two gentlemen would put two and two together once they saw him clean shaven. He then found himself thinking about Matthew Shaw as well. The man had a full sized beard and mustache by the time Jeremiah reached eight years old-one of a few reasons he was sure that endeared him to facial hair. That thought made him realize that, as upset as he was over his adoptive father's choice to flee California rather than give him back and face the possibility of his wife having slip back into a depressed state, the man was still the only father he'd ever known…and Jeremiah still loved him as such.

He rubbed his beard as he weighed everything out in his mind. As he did so, he inwardly sighed. Adam was right…staying hidden wasn't going to help any of them. "Go back to walking around town." He spoke to Adam and then turned to Nick and Heath. "Either one of you ever cut hair before?"

Before either one could reply, the front door began opening-causing Jeremiah to dash into side room. However, it was simply the reverend returning from an errand he'd run after Nick, Heath and Jeremiah had arrived at the church. Due to a comment the good man had made to Adam when the two first started talking, Adam spoke up. "My friend here needs his hair cut and his facial hair removed. Do you have the time to play barber again?"

The short, heavy set and balding reverend smiled from ear to ear. "Sure, be happy too. However, we'll have to go into the classroom." He pointed to the room Jeremiah had just exited. "I won't do it in our chapel. And, we'll have to hurry and get it done. I need to catch the stagecoach in an hour."

Jeremiah followed the reverend into the classroom; Adam left the building after securing a promise from Jeremiah that he wouldn't speak a word once his hair was cut while Nick and Heath sat on front pew. Once the reverend shut the door, Heath spoke up and startled Nick when he said, "Wonder what relation he is to the family." He would have come right out and said he wondered if Jeremiah was their long lost brother, but he figured Nick would yell and hit the roof if he did that.

"I don't know." Nick replied as he stood up and started pacing the floor. "Been wondering that one myself for a while now," He went on to point out what he'd noticed when it came to the way Jeremiah sat in the saddle. "My father, uncles and some of our cousins look the same way when they ride. Walks like a Barkley too," The more Nick talked, the faster he walked. It took Heath pointing out that, if Nick didn't stop, the sound of his spurs might just bring the reverend and Jeremiah running.

"I don't know why the fact that he might very well be related to us is making me feel so uneasy and uptight." Nick forced himself to sit back down.

"You never deal with change very well." Heath rubbed his chin and winked at him.

Nick couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered his automatic reaction the day his mother and Heath walked through the front door and she'd informed him, Audra and Gene as to who she had brought home. "I think Mother was ready to skin me alive when I went after you, asking how you'd managed to con her."

Heath chuckled as well as the two couldn't help but swap a few stories of Heath's early days on the ranch. However, about the time Heath thought he would cautiously bring up the possibility of a brotherly relationship the classroom door opened, and Jeremiah stepped out of the room.

One look at Jeremiah's short hair and clean shaven face and Nick could see his mother's side of the family in him as clear as day. ' _You walk like a Barkley, ride like a Barkley, but you look like my mother's side of the family'_ Nick thought. He glanced at Heath who was looking at him as if to say 'Are you now thinking what I'm thinking?' "No way!' Nick yelled silently to himself. "It can't be!"

For Jeremiah's part, he saw the reaction in Nick and Heath's eyes. He could hear his wife's comments about his characteristics and some private conversations they'd had about his looks-before he'd grown the extra hair. However, due to their current situation, he hoped the two men would put any questions they might want to ask him on the backburner. After all, he'd given his word to Adam and had no intention of breaking it. He was now mute.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The wind howled and pounded on the front door of the one level, three bedroom home General Alderson was using. None of the rooms held very much of anything. The kitchen had the standard cooking stove, cabinets, counter tops and sink…along with a small brown table and two chairs. The living room that was connected to the kitchen held a couch, coffee table and two chairs. Two of the bedrooms had beds and dressers in them…the third was almost completely empty-all it held a desk and chair. Definitely a far cry from what the general's living quarters had been in the past. However, since the home stood five miles out of Townsville and was surrounded by trees, he was putting up the 'normally unacceptable home'. He was sure that if he lived there long enough anyone looking for him would give up. When the time did come for him to rejoin society, he'd simply change his name and start over. At least, that's what he was telling himself when he heard someone actually knocking at his door.

Rising from the couch, General Alderson put the book he'd been reading down, walked over to the window, peeked out and frowned. Thomas Hyde, Townsville's blacksmith, was standing on the porch. No one in the area knew the 'good' man was one of the four men Barrett had mentioned when he'd started listing names. What are you doing out here?" General Alderson demanded once he'd opened the door and let the blacksmith in. "Is something wrong?"

"You said you wanted to know if strangers came to town, and I've seen a few men today-never seen them before." Mr. Hyde told him-even as he kept his eyes moving.

Out of the four men he had working for him, General Alderson was starting to question whether or not it had been wise to hire this man in the first place. "Have any of them been asking questions? Have they done anything out of the ordinary?" He gave Thomas Hyde a look that said 'Please, tell me that is the case.'

It was not to be, as the blacksmith shook his head. "No, but I've never seen them before, and there's nothing in town that would entice anyone to come here."

"Imbecile!" The general exclaimed only to himself. "Then why risk coming out here?" He raised his voice just enough to let the man know how displeased he was with him. "Get back to your work, and keep your eyes and ears open! I don't want to see you again unless you have something worth reporting!"

"Yes, sir." Thomas Hyde scurried off the porch, mounted his horse and sped off towards town.

"Might have to do something about him," General Alderson muttered as he shut the door and went back to reading.

While Mr. Hyde had been riding towards Alderson's secret home, Nick, Heath and Jeremiah had joined two other men in a game of cards. Due to the information Barrett had given them, Nick, Heath and Jeremiah recognized the younger of the two-a red headed twenty-one year old young man named Jeff Madison, which meant he-most likely- still worked for the general. The older one was none other than Niels Sanders. Nick, Heath and Jeremiah had all been relieved when Mr. Sanders showed no sign of recognizing Jeremiah and had accepted Nick and Heath's word that their friend was a mute. Actually, their exact words had been, "We're sorry. Our friend can't talk."

"Don't suppose you know of anyone looking for help?" Heath asked as he tossed a card back onto the table and took another one from Mr. Madison.

"Permanent or temporary?" Sanders replied. The fact that the man shot the red-headed dealer a lightning fast glance wasn't missed by Heath, Nick or Jeremiah. It only cemented in the fact that Sanders was tied in with Alderson.

"Temporary," Heath said as he folded and bowed out of the game. "My friends and I aren't planning on staying around long."

Sanders looked as if he was trying to decide whether to answer Heath or not. However, before he could decide he was shocked when Jeff Madison was accusing Nick of cheating.

"I don't cheat!" Nick barked as he glared at the young man. His loud voice killed any noise in the saloon, and every head turned in their direction. "Your friend there can look in my sleeves if he wants to and," he held up his cards, "these belong to your friend." He turned the cards towards Jeremiah and asked, "Are these cards marked?" Jeremiah shook his head while Mr. Sanders was glaring at Mr. Madison harder than Nick was. However, before anything more was said the accuser moved his arm slightly, and Nick caught sight of a card up the man's sleeve.

Nick cursed, leaned over the table, grabbed the man's arm and pulled out the card…and did it so fast that it made everyone's head spin. "YOU'RE the cheat NOT me!"

Embarrassed at being caught, Jeffery went for his gun only to find Nick was faster. Jeffery Madison was dead before he hit the floor. Seconds later, the sheriff-a wiry fellow with a black mustache- who had been passing the saloon came running in.

"He was cheating and pulled his gun on me first." Nick looked at the lawman.

"He's telling the truth, Sheriff Lawson." Mr. Sanders looked at his dead companion in disgust. He'd never wanted to work with the man in the first place only General Alderson paid too much just to walk away.

The lawman looked around and saw more than one head nod in agreement. "Get him out of here, and then come to my office. I'll need your written statement." He looked at all the men at the table.

All but Jeremiah replied with a simple 'Yes, Sir." When it came to Jeremiah, he nodded his head. The sheriff turned and walked out of the saloon.

"We'll help you with your friend." Nick started to offer only to have Mr. Sanders stop him.

"He's not my friend, just a man I worked with - one I got stuck babysitting. You go take care of things at the sheriff's." Mr. Sanders said as he scribbled a short note on small piece of paper he'd pulled out of his vest. "I'll take of him." He nodded towards the fallen man.

Nick took the note-which turned out to be Mr. Sanders' written statement- and then watched with the others as Mr. Sanders threw the dead man over his shoulder and walked out of the building.

"They're two of Alderson's men, guess I should say the younger man was and Mr. Sanders is." Nick, who had leaned over and picked up another piece of paper-one that had fallen out of the dead man's pocket and not seen by Sanders, said after reading the paper and handing it to Jeremiah. It was a list of supplies the general needed. Due the fact there was no name on it, Jeremiah looked at him-his eyes full of confusion.

"I know the general's handwriting." Nick said bluntly as he headed for the door. "Let's get to the sheriff's office and get this over with."

Neither Heath or Jeremiah argued with him as they followed Nick out of the saloon.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Excerpt from Ch Nineteen:

 _The lawman looked around and saw more than one head nod in agreement. "Get him out of here, and then come to my office. I'll need your written statement." He looked at all the men at the table._

 _All but Jeremiah replied with a simple 'Yes, Sir." When it came to Jeremiah, he nodded his head. The sheriff turned and walked out of the saloon._

Heath and Jeremiah sat on chairs that were in front of the sheriff's desk while Nick leaned against the wall, next to the door. All three men had been surprised-and concerned-when they'd found Adam Pierce in the law office as well.

"Only two of the four men Barrett said were here are still here." Adam said and then corrected himself, "Guess I should say one since Mr. Madison made the mistake of drawing on Nick."

"Who's still here, and where did other two go?" Jeremiah spoke up, seeing no reason to play the part of a mute at that moment. "And do you know if he has other men now?"

"The sheriff can answer the first two questions, and then we can discuss the last one." Adam pulled the only other chair in the office away from the south wall and sat down. All eyes turned to the lawman.

"First off," Sherriff Lawson-who was just as honest and good as Fred Madden was, **"** I was shocked when your friend told me our blacksmith, Thomas Hyde, had been named as one of the men working for Alderson. That man served in my unit during the war. The way he always talked, no one would ever think he had any sympathy for the South…and he's a bit 'squirly' if you ask me. I mean, he's the nervous type. Can't figure Alderson-or anyone else-hiring him for any job this serious. The second man listed is technically still in town." The Sheriff pointed towards a door to his left, one that led to the jail cells. "He is in there. I just put him in there an hour ago. I doubt anyone but the store clerk knows he's here yet. He hasn't sent for anyone." He went on to say the man had been caught trying to steal from the store. "The third man rode out of here two weeks ago. He was causing problems, and I told him to leave before he was arrested. When it comes to the fourth man," Sheriff shook his head and looked at Nick. "He never should have drawn on you?"

"No, he shouldn't have." Nick agreed, disgust could be heard in his voice. "Sanders is one of the new men, isn't he?"

Sheriff Lawson looked at the men and shrugged. "After what Mr. Pierce has told me, I suspect so. I mean, Mr. Madison has been hanging around him, and I have seen him a number of times at the blacksmith's place."

The wheels in Jeremiah's head had been rolling from the moment Sheriff Lawson had started talking. Now, he broke his silence and shocked Adam, along with Heath and Nick when he said, "I bet you if I go visit this Thomas Hyde I could get him to talk. After he talks, the sheriff can put him in one of those cells on some charge that would at least keep him under wraps for a few hours. That would give us only Anderson and Sanders to deal with. I mean, I doubt he's had time to recruit more men. If he has, I'm sure Mr. Hyde can tell us that too."

' _Whether you simply have Barkley blood in you or whether you're my older brother is beside the point at the moment,'_ Nick thought as he put his hands on hips. _'I'm keeping my eye on you.'_ Out loud, he said, "You mean we can go talk to him." He nodded towards Heath, who readily agreed. Adam objected, saying he thought it pretty risky for Nick to be seen talking to Hyde-especially after having to kill Madison.

The conversation might have continued only a dark haired gentleman rushed into the law office. Nick, Heath and the sheriff were shocked when the stranger tackled Adam Pierce to the floor. However, when they moved towards the two men, the stranger snapped, "My name's Macklin! I'm a Unites States Federal Agent!" He wrestled Adam Pierce to his feet and handcuffed him. "I…" he stopped as he stared at the clean shaven Jeremiah, and then shook his head. "Jeremiah Shaw! I never thought I'd see the day you'd get rid of all that extra hair and shave that beard!"

Jeremiah, who had quickly recognized Macklin, demanded to know what was up. "Why are you here, and why are you handcuffing him?"

"I've pushed my horse as fast as I could to get here. He's," he said tapping Adam on the shoulder, "a double agent. He's been working for Alderson all along!"

Astonishment shown on all their faces. "That doesn't make sense!" Jeremiah snapped. "He was the one who urged me to shave my beard and cut my hair! Pointed out that Sanders wouldn't recognize me if I did!"

It didn't take Macklin but a split second to figure it out. And, just as he did-Jeremiah did as well. "You didn't want Sanders or Alderson to know you've been working with me!" Jeremiah shot fire towards Adam Pierce.

Adam growled but said nothing as Macklin asked the sheriff if he minded another prisoner in his cell. "I'd take him outside, but then Mr. Hyde or Sanders might see us, or someone else if Alderson has hired other men."

"Just who's working with you?" Jeremiah glared at Adam as he stepped up to the prisoner, almost to the point of being in his face. "Have you already warned Alderson?"

"Answer him!" Macklin pulled the man's arms back just enough to make him more uncomfortable than he was.

"No!" Adam snapped angrily. "Every time I went to a telegraph office to send him a wire, one thing after another would stop me!" He then muttered he should have taken it as a sign to pull away from the job.

"Where is he?" Jeremiah growled angrily.

"You find him and tell me!" Adam glared back. "He never gave me his exact address!" When Macklin started pulling on his arms again, Adam swore. "I said I don't know! All I know is I'd send him wires and there was money in my bank account afterwards, just like he said there would be! And don't ask me about other men; I haven't had time to find out!" Everyone knew that meant that he hadn't had a chance to slip away without being seen.

"Go put him in a cell! Don't let anyone know he's in here, especially since I know a couple of our men wouldn't believe he's guilty. Who knows what they'd try to do to help him." Jeremiah turned away and headed for the door. "I have a blacksmith to talk to."

"You mean we," Nick and Heath said as they followed Jeremiah out the door.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

 _ **Previously:**_

" _ **Go put him in a cell!" Jeremiah turned away and headed for the door. "I have a blacksmith to talk to."**_

" _ **You mean we," Nick and Heath said as they followed Jeremiah out the door.**_

Nick, Heath and Jeremiah walked briskly down the sidewalk, keeping their eyes and ears open as they did so. As they passed the general store, one of their men walked out of the store. "Find anything out?" The twenty four year old, red headed, Clayton Brown, asked.

Normally, Jeremiah would have told him everything. Only, as Jeremiah had said after the shocking revelation they'd received in the sheriff's office, no information was going to be handed out. Therefore he shook his head. Nick and Heath backed Jeremiah up. "Have you learned anything, yourself?" Heath asked just as Clayton was about to leave.

"Well," Clayton fidgeted slightly-a bad habit he had when he found himself in an uncomfortable position. His reaction to Heath's question had Nick practically in his face.

"WHAT is it?" Nick demanded before finding Jeremiah's hand on his right arm while feeling Heath's on his left one.

Clayton gulped and stuttered, "We w-ere a-ll told to g-ive any in-formation we f-ound to A-dam Pierce."

"Since…" Nick started to bark only to have Jeremiah shoot him a glare before turning his attention to Clayton.

"Adam Pierce is busy with another Federal agent who has just arrived. I'm temporarily in charge." Jeremiah spoke ever so softly while continuing to keep an eye on his surroundings. "Tell me,"

Upon hearing Jeremiah's words, Clayton relented. "I was near the blacksmith shop when the stranger rode up and started talking to the blacksmith." He went on to describe the stranger he'd seen. Instantly, Jeremiah, Nick and Heath knew it was Sanders that Clayton had seen.

"What else?" Jeremiah asked, as the way Clayton was looking around, there was more. Heath's and Nick's eyes screamed the same question for the same reason.

"I couldn't hear everything, only I did hear the name of Alderson." Clayton admitted.

"Go get yourself something to eat." Jeremiah nodded towards the café, but don't say anything to anyone. In fact, after you're done reserve a few rooms at the boardinghouse." While Jeremiah got the strongest feeling this mission wasn't going to take as long-or be as difficult - as everyone feared it might, the men would still need a place to sleep for at least one night.

"Yes, sir." Clayton started to leave, but then asked what he should tell Pierce if he saw him .

'If you see him in a jail cell while sitting in the café' all three men thought, 'you have better eyesight than us.' However, it was Heath who answered him-as he saw a couple of women come around the corner. "Nothing, what's said to him is up to Jeremiah now. Just go get some food."

"Yes, sir!" Clayton, who was hungrier than a horse, quipped as he hurried across the street. The moment he did that, Jeremiah walked as fast as he could-without attracting unnecessary attention- down the boardwalk towards the blacksmith, as did Nick and Heath. He was relieved to see the blacksmith still at work. He'd been afraid the man had run off with Sanders.

"I'll go around back and slip inside, make sure no one is inside. If it's clear, I'll let out a call that sounds like a hoot owl. The two of you need to get Mr. Hyde inside." Heath said when they started to cross the road.

"Fine," Jeremiah, who agreed with Heath, didn't argue as Heath turned and walked away.

When it came to Thomas Hyde, he didn't see Jeremiah, Nick or Heath. No, his eyes were on the horseshoe he was supposed to be working on while his mind was on the visit he'd received from Mr. Sanders.

" _I told Alderson there were strangers in town. He didn't seem to care, unless they were asking questions about him. Why does he want to know who they are now? Nothing's changed." Thomas looked up from his work. Mr. Sanders was leaning a nearby pole._

 _Mr. Sanders wasn't about to admit it was he had actually been ordered to do away with the blacksmith only he had decided to put the order on hold…as he figured he could use him as a source of information for a while. "Ask him, I'm only following orders. Did you catch any names?"_

" _Not really," Thomas scratched the back of his neck. "That is, not all of them. I did catch the name of Barkley." He went onto describe Heath._

 _As he listened to the description given, Mr. Sanders thought on the blonde haired gentleman he'd played poker with. He hadn't caught the man's last name only, now, hearing the name Barkley attached to the face…something wasn't sitting right. "Keep your ears open. I'll be back. And, for your own safety, stay away from Alderson. He's madder than a hornet at you right now. I'll relay any messages you have for him."_

Thomas jumped and came out of his thoughts when Jeremiah walked up and stopped at his right side while Nick walked around him and stopped on his left. "Who are you?" He looked at Jeremiah and then turned to Nick. "What do you want?" Just as he asked the questions the sound of a hoot owl came from inside the barn. It startled him, and he jumped again. Before he knew it, Nick had ripped the iron out of his hands and the two men were very quickly moving him inside.

"Who are you! What do you want?" The fear in Mr. Hyde's voice rose when Jeremiah looked at Nick and then let go of Mr. Hyde's arm. Nick got the message. Before Mr. Hyde could ask another question, Nick had slammed him up against the wall and demanded Thomas Hyde tell him, Jeremiah and Heath, who had pulled out his pistol and had it aimed at Nick's prisoner, everything that Mr. Hyde knew about Alderson.

Not knowing the general already wanted him dead, the frightened blacksmith cried out, "If I talk, he'll have me killed!"

"And, if you don't, we won't?" Jeremiah spoke up-hoping the question would break the man.

"I-if I tell you everything I know," Thomas Hyde squealed when Nick tightened the grip he had on the man's collar. "Will you make sure I'm not killed!"

"I have a friend who can help in that area." Jeremiah snapped and told Mr. Hyde to start talking. Which, thanks, to Nick's continuing hold on him and Heath's gun-the man did.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

 _ **A/N Thanks again for your patience.**_

 _ **Previously:**_

" _I-if I tell you everything I know," Thomas squealed when Nick tightened the grip he had on the man's collar._

Unaware of Jeremiah's, Heath's and Nick's conversation with Thomas Hyde, Sanders had taken his time doing his business in town and traveling out to the general's house. This being the case, he stood in Alderson's living room talking with the man, never realizing just how close the law was.

"I didn't say you had to like it, and don't go blaming me for the stupidity of Jeff Madison!" Sanders snapped when Alderson tried to blame him for Mr. Madison's death. "Look, I told you when I first arrived you'd hired the wrong men! You wouldn't listen! I tell you something isn't right!"

"There can't be anything going on. I'd have heard from one of our other men if there was." Oblivious to the fact the mole he had in the federal government had been exposed, General Alderson-who had been sitting on the couch-stood up. "You haven't seen any of them in town, have you?"

Sanders stared at the General in disbelief. Sure, since he'd seen one of their men being hauled into the jail cell a mere few hours ago, he could understand the general being clueless on that one. However, how could the man not know one of his men had ridden out of town the week before? Sanders had only arrived in town not that long ago, and he already knew that. He shook his head and related everything to the man who had ridden out of town and the man in the cell. There was no way he was going to admit the blacksmith was still very much alive. "I have noticed quite a few strangers in town, not just the ones Mr. Madison and I were playing cards either. If it was just those men, I wouldn't think anything of it."

General Alderson didn't like it…as he remembered Mr. Hyde's earlier visit to him. Maybe he had dismissed the man's warning too easily. He walked over to the fireplace and leaned against the mantle, and gazed into the empty firebox.

The whole time Sanders had been in town, and then ridden out to the general's home, Jeremiah, Nick, and Heath been gathering the men-along with the sheriff. Now, while Alderson and Sanders talked, Jeremiah and the others had made their way to home Mr. Hyde confessed General Alderson was using. From where they sat on their horses, they could see Sanders' and General Alderson's backs. When one of the men started forward, Macklin quickly stopped him.

"We can't go barging down there. It will only get one of us killed." He went on to tell the men to carefully surround the house-making sure he paired them up and told them where to go. He turned and spoke to Jeremiah while looking at Nick and Heath. "We have an odd amount of men. Do you mind pairing up with the Barkleys?"

Jeremiah allowed a small smile to appear and shook his head. He more than liked the idea. "Don't mind if they're okay with it."

"It's fine with us." Nick and Heath replied as they turned their horses around and made their way to area Macklin had assigned them. By the time they had the house surrounded, the general-still unaware of what was going on outside-turned away from the fireplace and snapped. "If you're right, then James Barrett had to have turned on me!" The idea infuriated the general and he swore to get even with 'that traitor' if he ever got the chance. "I'll pay you double what I am now if you help me get away from this place unnoticed!" Even as the general made the offer he began thinking of a way to get rid of Sanders….as there was no way he could pay the man double.

Double! Sander's greedy eyes flew open. For that kind of pay, he had no trouble helping the man-even if he didn't like him. "All…" he started to answer only to hear the sound of a something breaking outside. Both he and the general flew to the window and looked out. Their eyes scanned the area, having no way of knowing Macklin, who had stepped at twig, was no standing behind a couple of trees, his back pressed against the tree. "There's something…" the general started to speak only to have his heart jump to his throat when he saw a couple of men kneeling behind a boulder that set roughly 10 yards from the house. He let out a string of curse words while Sanders flew to the front window. He too turned the sky blue as he started swearing and turned on the general. "You pulled me into trap!"

Before the general could say a word, Macklin-who had repositioned himself-was speaking. "This is Lt. Macklin speaking, General Alderson! You are under arrest! Come out with your arms up, and no one will get hurt!"

"You got to get me out of here!" The General started whining and rambling to Sanders.

"HOW!" Sanders, who was madder than a wet hen, snapped…and then busted a window-enabling him to point his pistol out the window and took a shot at a red headed fellow he could see. He wouldn't have wounded the man only the bullet ricocheted and hit the man in the arm. This naturally had the other men returning the fire.

While the general and Sanders were exchanging fire with Macklin and the men with him, Jeremiah was making his way to a door on the back side of the home. It appeared to lead into some sort of storage area. He could see that because the upper part of the outside walls were simply wire. Naturally, this meant Nick and Heath were right with him.

"They might hear us." Nick knew he was making an obvious statement, only he didn't really care.

"Maybe," Jeremiah shrugged his shoulders and told Nick and Heath to go back if they wanted.

"You're stuck with us." Heath and Nick said as Jeremiah quietly opened the back door. All three let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding as no sound came from the hinges. Carefully Jeremiah opened what turned out to be the back door of the house itself. Again, the three men were releasing a breath of relief…though they made no noise as they silently made their way up the small hallway. As they did so, they could hear Sanders telling Alderson they should risk going out the back.

"No need to do that." Nick, Heath and Jeremiah barked as they turned the corner. Both Alderson and Sanders whirled around and, in spite of three guns pointing at them, turned their guns on the gentlemen. In a matter of seconds, the general, Sanders and Jeremiah all lay on the floor, not moving a muscle.

 **A/N NO, this is NOT a story where ANY Barkley dies.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

Jeremiah-the gentleman who Nick and Heath were almost positive was their brother- had been transported to the medical office as fast as possible. Now, Jeremiah lay in a bed that the doctor used for his most critical patients. Nick, who had refused to leave Jeremiah's side, turned his head when he heard the door open. He wasn't surprised to see Heath enter the room. His blonde haired brother had hurried over to the telegraph office after the doctor had removed the bullet that had hit Jeremiah in his right side.

"You were gone long enough." Nick snapped unintentionally, and then quickly apologized. "I didn't think you'd be gone that long."

"I wouldn't have been, but I talked to Macklin after I sent the wire." Heath walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down on the only other chair in the room.

"And?" Nick, who had thought Macklin had left with the rest of the agents when they'd hauled off Sanders' and Alderson's corpses, did his best not to snap this time.

Heath shook his head. "It seems Jeremiah told him before we came here he was quitting this business, told Macklin he had enough other investments and wanted to start using his law degree more. He told Macklin he was tired of keeping track of names that weren't his. The man seemed to think you and I could, and would, talk Jeremiah out of doing such a thing."

"Why?" Nick asked in disbelief. "Even if I was inclined to do such a thing-which I'm not-what makes Macklin think we could talk someone we only met a month ago out of changing careers?"

Heath shrugged his shoulders. "That's what I asked him; he couldn't answer me." Heath then told Nick he'd been surprised to receive a reply to his telegram already. "Mother must have been in the telegraph office-or close to it. She, La'akea and Audra-she got home early-will catch the first available stagecoach and be here as soon as they can."

Nick started to reply only to have Jeremiah-who had started running a fever, another reason Nick had refused to leave the gentleman's side, started muttering. "No, don't hate Father-good man, desperate man, forgive him…. No solid proof, circumstantial evidence... Barkleys will want solid proof…always wanted brothers." Jeremiah turned his head back and forth as he continued muttering about how truly good men sometimes act out of sheer desperation and how he doubted the Barkleys would believe his name had originally been Jarrod Thomas Barkley-especially since he had no intention of changing his name-as he'd used too many identities due to his undercover work.

Heath, who had stood up and retrieved the washcloth that set next to a bowl of water-both items sat on a small brown nightstand that stood against the same wall as the bed's headboard-soaked the cloth and put it on Jeremiah's forehead. As he did so, he looked at Nick. He wasn't surprised by the ray of emotions in the hot tempered rancher's face. He figured Nick was feeling the same amount of shock that he, himself, felt upon hearing Jeremiah's unintended confession.

"He knew all along." Nick said in uncharacteristically low tone of voice. His eyes moving from Jeremiah up to Heath. The tone of his voice then changed to one of frustration. "While I think it would be nice if he took either the name of Jarrod or Barkley back, I wouldn't fight him over it." When Heath raised an eyebrow, Nick couldn't help but let out a very small chuckle and admitted that he would have in the past. "But not now," Nick shook his head. "I wouldn't press the issue now, but why is he rambling on about the desperate acts of desperate men and asking us to forgive his 'father'?" Nick held up his hands and flicked his fingers as he said the word 'father'.

Heath, who was just as confused, shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know." He looked away from Nick and watched as Jeremiah stopped talking and slipped back total unconsciousness. He inwardly sighed as, not knowing the actual circumstances that had surrounded the disappearance of Tom's and Victoria's oldest son, he dared not speculate on what had really happened so many years ago. "Let's just hope he's willing to discuss everything when his fever breaks, and he regains consciousness."

'If he pulls through,' was a thought Heath wasn't about to voice out loud. Why should he when he could already see a similar thought appear in his hot tempered brother's eyes.

While Nick and Heath were keeping a constant virgil by their brother's side, Victoria, Audra and La'akea were doing their best to be patient with the stagecoach driver-as the man was driving the horses as fast as he could without endangering the horses or his passengers. He might not have been driving as fast as he was, only both Victoria and La'akea had promised him a large tip if he could get them to Townsville as fast as possible. Since he had no other passengers to deal with, he accepted their offer-after insisting they needed to lower it a bit as he wasn't out to 'take them for all they were worth'. It didn't matter if they didn't see it that way. "I have my conscience to live with and I like sleeping at nights" had been his exact words.

Birds could be seeing flying through the air and more than one animal darted out from in front of the stagecoach racing down the road. However, they were of very little concern to Victoria, Audra and La'akea.

"He'll be fine." Audra, who had been ecstatic to learn her oldest brother was actually with Nick and Heath, did her best to assure La'akea. Her sister-in-law's eyes were continuing to look from the book in her hands to the window off to her right.

"I'm not worried if he'll survive or not, he will. I feel it." La'akea sighed and shut the book. "I'm just concerned how he'll feel once he finds out I told your mother most of 'his story'."

Victoria, who was sitting next to her daughter-in-law, patted La'akea's hand and smiled. "You're a good woman. If he's angry at all, he'd be crazy not to forgive you. Also, right or wrong, I'll tell him as much if he reacts negatively."

La'akea chuckled-even as she held onto her seat, as the coach had hit a bump hard enough to get the driver hollering down an apology. After assuring the driver they were fine, La'akea returned her mother-in-law's smile. She didn't doubt for a minute, Victoria Barkley would speak her mind.


	24. Chapter 24

Twenty Four

 _ **Excerpt from Ch 23**_

 _ **Heath then told Nick he'd been surprised to receive a reply to his telegram already. "Mother must have been in the telegraph office-or close to it. She, La'akea and Audra-she got home early-will catch the first available stagecoach and be here as soon as they can."**_

~oOo~

The sun pushed through the glass window and pried open Jeremiah's eyes. He let out a slight groan as he opened and closed his eyes a couple of times. His reaction made La'akea, who had arrived a mere hour before, lean forward; she was using the chair that Nick had used up until the time she walked into the room. Nick, who was standing near the window, quickly moved to the side of the bed. When it came to Heath, he- along with Victoria and Audra, was out in the waiting room. The family and La'akea had agreed that each of the family members would take turns being in the room with La'akea while she watched over her husband.

"'Bout time you woke up sleepyhead," La'akea smiled as Jeremiah's eyes opened for good.

At first Jeremiah was confused, seeing her by his side had him thinking he was back on the ranch. Only the confusion quickly left as he remembered being shot. He had to have been pretty bad off for his wife to be next to him now. "Yeah, guess it is," he smiled at his wife, and then looked at Nick. "How long have I been out? Alderson, Sanders…"

When Jeremiah quit speaking, but kept his eyes on Nick, the Stockton rancher shook his head. "Four days, and those two were dead before they hit the floor."

Four days? Jeremiah glanced at his wife. No wonder she was by him now. He then looked back. He could see something had the gentleman unsettled. "Guess you're going to say I was running a fever and talked. Just what did I say?" He asked the question, and then braced himself for the answer. However, Nick had no chance to reply as Victoria opened the door and stepped inside.

Jeremiah frowned slightly. La'akea coming to Townsville he could understand, but Victoria Barkley?

"We've been taking turns helping La'akea." Nick told him, and then excused himself…after assuring Jarrod that La'akea and Victoria could answer any questions he might have concerning anything said in his fevered state of mind. He would have done otherwise, but he'd already agreed to let his mother and sister-in-law be the first to discuss 'that' subject.

Jeremiah waited until Nick had shut the door before turning his attention to his wife and Victoria. The nervous look in his wife's eyes and the uneasy one in Victoria's jumped out and visibly shook him. He silently groaned just knowing-in general-what he must have been said. "You know everything?" He looked at Victoria.

Victoria, who had quickly decided it would be best to focus on what her son had muttered and not on what La'akea had told her-that confession could wait until another day, nodded. "I know; we all do. However," she quickly added as she walked over and stood beside La'akea, putting her hand on her daughter-in-law's shoulder, "like I've told your wife, the past is the past. I am working on forgiving Matthew Shaw for keeping you from us once he knew the truth. After all, the addition of La'akea to the family is a blessing." She sighed and then continued. "Both your fathers were, overall, very good men. Sadly, even good men make serious mistakes." She then asked him why he hadn't spoken up. "The confession and the journal weren't the only proof you had." Victoria looked at him in loving rebuke. "Without all that extra hair you bear a striking resemblance to many of your relatives on my side of the family. I'm actually surprised I didn't see though it anyway and see the truth before now."

"Not everyone would see it that way. That is, the part that-overall- Matthew was a very good man." Jeremiah sighed after a moment. "I've known many people who drag another man's name through the mud; that is, they seem to forget all the good about him and only focus on the bad. Eventually, they make him out to be nothing but bad."

"And you didn't want that for Matthew Shaw any more than I've wanted it for my late husband. She held herself erect as she talked about Tom and the fact he'd fathered Heath with another woman. "Both your fathers were very good men; they were also very human. Neither one belong on a pedestal, and no one should make them out to be cold-hearted and downright selfish either." She paused and then continued. "The doctor said that, once you woke up, it would probably be at least a week before you were fit enough to travel. We'd all like you to consider sticking around for a while. We want the opportunity to get to know you even more." She hesitated a split second before adding, "Afterwards, we'd like you to at least consider coming and visiting often. The house you've been using will always be there for you to use when you do."

Jeremiah didn't say anything at first. Then, slowly, he asked, "Are you expecting me to take the Barkley name back?"

Victoria kept the portion of her heart that felt like it was breaking all over again hidden as she shook her head. "What name you go by is your business, not mine. With that said and done, you're still my biological son and welcome in our home anytime you wish to be there." She went on to say how happy she was that he'd turned out to be such a fine man. "You still look awfully tired. I'll go tell the others you're fine and to give you some space and time to rest. Later, when you're up to it, the whole family would like to talk to you as well." She turned to leave only to have Jeremiah stop her.

"Thanks, thanks for understanding." Jeremiah smiled, as did Victoria, and then watched as the Barkley matriarch left the room. Once she was gone, he looked at his wife. Her eyes betrayed her feelings. "You think I should change my name back to Jarrod Thomas Barkley, don't you?"

La'akea bit her lower lip. "Not exactly,"

Jeremiah's eyebrows turned downward and confusion. "What do you mean, not exactly? You do want me to change my name; I can see that in your eyes. What else would I change to?"

"Would you seriously consider it if I told you?" La'akea laid her hand on his as she looked him in the eye.

"I'll listen." Jeremiah glanced towards the door, thought on his brothers whom he had a healthy dose of respect for, his biological mother and the two siblings he had yet to meet. "And then, I'll think about it. Now," he said as shifted his position-with his wife's help-"Start talking,"


	25. Chapter 25

Twenty Five

 _ **Excerpt from Ch 24**_

 _La'akea bit her lower lip. "Not exactly,"_

 _Jeremiah's eyebrows turned downward and confusion. "What do you mean, not exactly? You do want me to change my name; I can see that in your eyes. What else would I change to?"_

~oOo~

Jeremiah and La'akea walked down Townsville's main straight. The doctor had given him a clean bill of health the previous day, and now they were to meet Victoria and the others at the café. As the two of them passed the general mercantile, the topic turned to what Jeremiah would do now that he was no longer working for the federal government-he'd handed his letter of resignation over to Macklin when the gentleman and another agent stopped by to see him before leaving town.

"I wired Uncle Hank and told him we're staying in California a little while longer than originally thought. Asked if he, Nate or Abe would continue to run the freight business for a while, along with the shipping operation. I told him I'd write more to later. I can continue to handle the mining business in Nevada." Jeremiah told La'akea as they climbed the stairs that led to the café's front door. "As far as anything else we have discussed," he opened the door, and held it open for his wife. "We can talk about it while we eat."

Once inside, Jeremiah and La'akea headed towards two white tables that had been pushed together; the tables set towards the back of the café. Victoria, Nick, Heath and Audra were already there and waiting for the couple. The moment the couple headed for the tables, Victoria and the others quit talking. Jeremiah pulled a chair out for La'akea, and then sat down in the only available seat. As he did so, his eyes fell upon Nick-who was sitting directly across from him. The words the famous Stockton rancher had said the day after Victoria had talked to Jeremiah still rang in his ears.

 _"You're thirty two years old with a wife! Go by Jeremiah Shaw, change back to Jarrod Barkley—it's not my place to tell you what to do on that end. Only, please," Nick took a hold of the top of the bed's footboard. "Don't just waltz out of our lives; well, not yet anyway. Would it hurt to hang around for an extended visit?"_

Now, Nick's eyes, along with Heath's and Audra's-they had pretty much said the same thing as Nick when they had talked to Jeremiah and La'akea, all had a looked that spoke one two sentences loud and clear. _"You're our brother; let us get to know you."_ "If someone doesn't speak soon, I'll have to have my hearing checked." Jeremiah smiled, doing his best to dispel the uneasy silence around them.

"Don't really know what to say," Heath spoke up, throwing a lopsided grin Jeremiah's way. "Don't want to chase you off,"

"If we haven't already done that." Audra, who desperately wanted to know that wasn't the case, looked at the brother who was a total stranger to her. She desperately wanted to get to know him.

Jeremiah shook his head while glancing at La'akea. He repeated what he'd told his wife about the freight and shipping business. "My uncle, Matthew's brother, and his sons are excellent workers and very knowledgeable. They will handle things just fine." He went on to explain about his mines and then shrugged his shoulders. "We're overdue for a vacation anyway. Spending an extra month, with all of you, would be a good way to spend a portion of the time." He and La'akea were rewarded for that decision when each of his biological family started beaming. Only, when Nick began speaking, Jeremiah interrupted…apologizing as he did so.

"There's one more matter of business before anything else is discussed." He looked at Victoria, which naturally made every one of the family curious.

""That would be?" Victoria sat erect and prepared for whatever it was that her long lost son had to say.

"My name." He wasn't surprised when an uneasy look appeared, in one form or another, in the family. "The fact that I've spent thirty-two years going by the last name of Shaw makes it impossible-in my eyes-to completely drop it. For all intents and purposes, Matthew was my father…and not a bad one either." He waited until each of the Barkley's had at least nodded slightly-acknowleding they'd heard what he'd said. He then stunned them by quickly glancing at La'akea and then back at them and told them that, even with that being the case, he liked the idea of adding Barkley to his last name. My last name will be Shaw-Barkley, if there are no objections."

"Of course, we won't object!" Nick blurted out, and then quickly apologized- as Jeremiah had been addressing Victoria not him.

"That sounds good to me only," Victoria, who had been looking at La'akea and saw that her daughter in law still looked a tad bit nervous, added, "What else is there?'

Jeremiah chuckled, again looked at his wife and then back at the Barkleys. "MY full name is actually Michael Jeremiah Shaw. I don't hate the name Michael. I even have a few friends by that name. With that said and done, I have never cared for it. You named me Jarrod Thomas so, after listening to my wife, I'm willing to give up that first name for one of those two names. For the moments that were stolen from you by my adoptive father, we think you should be able to pick which name will replace Michael…Jarrod or Thomas. Though, mind you, if you wish to call me by the name you pick-it will only be the immediate family who will call me it. Like I said, after thirty two years, I'm not going to ask everyone who has known me all my life to change."

Victoria, who found a lump in her throat, nodded. Then, once she could speak, she nodded towards Heath. "Heath took the middle name of Thomas when he changed his last name to Barkley. We weren't trying to replace you by any means only, not knowing you were alive, I wanted someone living to have my husband's name. So…if you're sure you don't mind, I'd love for you to have the name of Jarrod back."

Jeremiah, who more than understood why Heath had taken the middle name of Thomas, smiled as he covered La'akea's hand with his right hand and laid his left one on top of Victoria's. "Jarrod Jeremiah Shaw-Barkley it is." He then broke out in an even bigger grin as Nick, Heath and Audra all welcomed him-very vocally-to the family. For Victoria's part, she stood up, and stepped closer, embraced her son-along with the daughter-in-law she would forever grateful for.

EPILOGUE TO FOLLOW


	26. Epilogue

Epilogue

The wind was blowing outside her husband's office window as La'akea, who had brought lunch to him, stood in his office waiting for him to finish talking with Nick and Heath. As she looked out the office window she could see very few people on the boardwalks that were in front of the buildings along Stockton's Main Street. From where she stood, she could also see her husband standing in the office hallway talking to his brothers. She couldn't believe how much had changed since the first month they'd spent on the ranch. Had it really been five years?

Their 'vacation' from Kansas had wound up lasting six weeks-due to a necessary visit to the Nevada mines. Nick had traveled with her husband, leaving Heath to run the ranch. While neither would tell the family the exact details of the trip, the two brothers had definitely made a strong connection to each other. The bond with Heath had strengthened just as quickly, once they were back on the ranch.

A trip back to Kansas had been necessary of course. _'Uncle Hank thinks I'm crazy, but he and my cousins are more than happy to buy the shipping and freight business from me. He also made me promise we'd write often-says adding to my last name doesn't change the fact that I'm his nephew'_ had been her husband's exact words after they'd been back in Kansas a 'akea couldn't help but wonder if Hank Shaw's attitude would have been the same if he'd been told more than 'it turns out my biological parents didn't die in that fire after all, and have thought all these years I was the one who had perished.' The fact that Jeremiah had left a few of the Shaws in the dark only cemented in what La'akea had already felt about them. Thank goodness the majority of that family weren't the type to gossip.

True to his word, her husband had asked no one who had known him since a boy-meaning everyone in Kansas and the people he dealt with at the Nevada mines-to call him anything different. However, the fact that the Barkleys called him Jarrod had quickly been picked up on by the citizens in Stockton. When they'd asked what they were to call him, the reply had been, "Doesn't really matter to me, just pick a name and stick with it is all I ask.'

"Whatever you say, Jarrod." Nick put his hat back on. "I'll travel to Modesto and get the signatures we need. You just tell Elizabeth where I've gone." He then looked into the office and bade La'akea goodbye.

Elizabeth…La'akea had to chuckle as she thought on the strawberry blonde haired, blue eyed woman who Nick had married three years ago. How her sister caught Nick's eye was beyond her. It's not like she was raving beauty-not that it should be a factor in choosing a wife-and Elizabeth was so quiet the most of the time. However, the couple was obviously madly in love with each other and had a two year old son and a set of six month old twins. 'Must be a case of opposites attracting' La'akea had told herself more than once.

"You should do more than handle drawing up land deeds, wills and other legal documents. Stockton's going to need a new defense attorney soon." Heath chuckled as his brother made another valid point in the discussion they were having.

His oldest brother didn't reply for a second. He had to admit there were times he wondered if he had been raised as a Barkley if he'd feel the drive to be in courtroom as a defense attorney or a prosecutor. However, for the main part, he didn't dwell on it. There was no way of telling what might have been; all he could do was live with what was and move on. "If you or any of the family ever need someone to defend you, I'll defend you-after slapping you upside every part of your head, but that's it."

"I've got to go. Told Sharon I'd pick her up at three." Heath smiled, bade his brother and sister in law goodbye and left.

La'akea smiled as she thought on the feisty Irish gal that Heath had wound up marrying shortly after learning his oldest brother and sister in law were moving to Stockton permanently. The couple had a two year old son, and Sharon was expecting again. Her mind then turned to Audra and Eugene. Both had recently married and moved away…Audra to the Martin ranch-as she'd married Will, while Eugene and his bride had moved back east.

"Thanks for lunch." Jarrod - Jeremiah had somewhere along the line found himself liking the name Jarrod even more than he liked Jeremiah - stepped into the room and kissed his wife. "What do you say we go meet Mother at the cafe. I'm free for a few hours."

Victoria? The cafe? La'akea was confused for two reasons. One…he'd already ate his lunch and; two, she thought her mother-in-law had left to visit her sister in Colorado. Her husband's eyes were sparking even more than usual. Still, she simply slid her hand in his and walked out of the building. In no time at all they were entering the cafe.

The moment Jarrod and La'akea entered the building, La'akea's hands flew to her mouth and she gasped. Victoria, along with Nick, Heath and their families were standing off to the side of the dining area while Audra was standing in the middle of the room with an infant girl in her arms, a two year old girl of her right side and two boys-ages four and six on her left. Father Roberts, from the orphanage, stood behind them. La'akea didn't have to ask what was going on as a conversation that she and Jarrod had had with the good priest the week before raced through her mind.

" _If we do a thorough search and find out these siblings definitely have no relatives willing to take them all in, are the two of you still looking to adopt?"_

"They're ours?" La'akea looked at Jarrod and the rest of the Barkleys-all of whom were smiling from ear to ear. "Really?"

"Really, the good father, my brothers, myself and the Pinkerton Agency did a thorough search. None of us wanted to take children away from any natural family that might be out there." Jarrod assured her, and then smiled from ear to ear as Audra placed the infant in his wife's arms while the other three children-who had gotten to know him and his wife over the past couple of months-ran up to them and wrapped their small arms around Jarrod and La'akea's waist the best they could.

Nick, who had picked up a glass that sat on a nearby table, raised it in the air. "Here's to family!" It was a sentiment each and every one of them…including the three adopted children who could speak. Jarrod looked from his wife and the baby in her arms to Victoria and smiled even wider. Life had never been better.


End file.
